Caleb McLaughlin Opens Up About Racism From ‘Stranger Things’ Fans

Caleb McLaughlin, AKA Lucas Sinclair in Stranger Things, spoke out about the racism he’s experienced since the show’s 2016 Netflix debut. At Heroes Comic Con in Brussels, McLaughlin discussed how fans of the series have treated him worse than other cast members over the years.

The actor admitted it hasn’t been easy.

“It definitely took a toll on me as a younger kid,” he shared. “My very first Comic-Con, some people wouldn’t stand in my line because I was black. Some people told me, ‘Oh, I didn’t want to be in your line because you were mean to Eleven.”

McLaughlin continued, “Even now, some people don’t follow me or don’t support me because I’m black, you know.”

The Stranger Things star implored the Brussels crowd to consider why he seems to be the least popular cast member on a mostly-white show.

“It’s hard to talk about and for people to understand,” he explained, “but when I was younger it definitely affected me a lot. You see, you’re like, ‘What? Like, this is a deep conversation right now — why am I the least favorite? Who [do I] have the least amount of followers? I’m on the same show as everyone else from season 1.”

It’s an important question to ask — at 15.4 million, McLaughlin notably has the fewest number of Instagram followers out of the leads on the show. Some of his white peers, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard and Noah Schnapp have 58.5 million, 26.3 million and 27.6 million followers on the platform, respectively.

McLaughlin recalled his parents explaining the devastating reality that his race affected his popularity. “My parents had to be like, ‘It’s a sad truth, but it’s because you’re the black child on the show,’ and I was like ‘Wow, that’s crazy,'” he remembered.

Regardless of the hate he receives, the Stranger Things star is determined to stay positive and use the platform he does have for good. “Because I was born with this beautiful chocolate skin, I’m not loved. But that’s why with my platform I want to spread positivity and love because I do not give hate back to people that give hate to me,” he vowed.

Check out McLaughlin’s work on four seasons of Stranger Things, all currently available on Netflix. The fifth and last season of the beloved show is expected to come out in late 2023 or 2024.