Millie Bobby Brown’s dating confession resurfaced this week and immediately reignited the internet’s fascination and confusion about the beginnings of her relationship with husband Jake Bongiovi.
In a recently recirculated clip from her interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast, the actress described how Bongiovi did not seem interested in her as a romantic partner, prompting her to take the initiative to pursue him. The details sent fans spiraling into disbelief, especially amid recent allegations that Bongiovi is not really a very useful husband or father.
Highlights
- Fans reacted strongly after Millie Bobby Brown recalled how she had to chase husband Jake Bongiovi in their early dating days.
- Online users joked about the apparent disinterest that Bongiovi showed the Stranger Things actress before they started dating.
- The resurfaced clip reignited debates about unequal effort and confusing modern dating signals, as well as Bongiovi's current behavior with Brown and their daughter.
Fans expressed confusion about Brown’s story and questioned her early dynamic with Bongiovi
Image credits: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
As snippets of Brown's interview resurfaced across social media, users revisited her admission that she had taken charge of their early connection.
According to Brown, she and her would-be husband were friends at first, and while they were close, he never showed any apparent romantic interest in her. “He did not flirt with me, like once,” she said.
Image credits: Call Her Daddy
This went on so far that Brown told her mother that Bongiovi would either end up as her Maid of Honor or her groom at her wedding.
At one point, Brown said her mother actually sat in on one of their conversations, only to confirm that Bongiovi really did not seem to be flirting with her at all.
Image credits: Call Her Daddy
“He doesn’t show any signs of interest,” Brown’s mom reportedly told her.
They did eventually get together, though the Stranger Things star said it took him forever to realize he was also attracted to her.
Image credits: Call Her Daddy
Fans reacted instantly, with many saying the details of their story seem far more lopsided than they remembered.
One commenter stated, “How do I explain that a guy showing no interest and being respectful isn't the same thing?”
“As if it wasn’t bad enough already, SHE’S the one who pursued him, and he didn’t even show any interest at the very beginning. A nightmare,” another netizen wrote.
Yet another commented that Brown appeared to have “kidnapped herself into the relationship.”
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Some echoed that sentiment with a blunt reaction, writing, “NOT Millie joining the roster of women chasing men who barely looked up at first.”
Netizens also joked that “she speed-ran the talking stage while he was still buffering,” while others commented that “every new detail” from Brown’s story was “more unhinged than the last.”
Image credits: zoeycyberkitty
The dynamics of Millie Bobby Brown’s marriage to Jake Bongiovi have been in the spotlight recently
It might have taken him forever to realize that he liked Brown, but once he did, Bongiovi seemed to be fully locked in. In 2023, Brown revealed on Instagram that they were engaged.
Bongiovi even went the extra mile to make her engagement memorable. As described by Brown, she and Bongiovi love diving.
Image credits: clipreport7
While on vacation, Bongiovi took her diving and presented her with a shell with a ring inside. The ring was from Brown’s mother, and it was a piece that she had loved for a long time.
The proposal almost took a wrong turn, however, as the ring slipped off her finger and plummeted to the water below. Thankfully, Bongiovi was able to recover the ring.
Image credits: honeycherries23
Not long after, they were married in a private ceremony. Legendary musician Jon Bon Jovi, Jake’s father, expressed his approval of their relationship in a later comment.
“If you find the right partner and you grow together, I think that would be my advice really: growing together is wise… Millie is wonderful. Her whole family is great, really great. Jake is very, very happy,” Bon Jovi said.
Image credits: SthormyStar
Earlier this year, Brown announced that she and Bongiovi had adopted a baby girl.
As soon as the family started getting photographed in public, however, sentiments among fans started getting critical towards Bongiovi.
Image credits: milliebobbybrown
Social media users shared photos of Brown carrying bags, the baby, and other items, while Bongiovi just followed her around with nothing in his hands.
This came to a head recently when Brown confronted photographers while carrying her child. Bongiovi was unhelpful during the tense interaction.
Image credits: milliebobbybrown
This has resulted in many netizens dubbing him a “useless” husband. “She needs someone like Cynthia (Erivo) on her side. Her husband is useless,” one commenter read.
“We are 50-50 on everything. That’s why I’m so grateful to have partnered with him in this life. He is just the most amazing dad,” she said.
Netizens shared their thoughts on Millie Bobby Brown’s comments about Jake Bongiovi on social media
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