Millie Bobby Brown on motherhood: ‘Love is incomprehensible’
Synopsis
Millie Bobby Brown, just 21 and a year into marriage, says nothing prepared her for the ‘incomprehensible’ love of motherhood. In a rare UNICEF interview, the Stranger Things star spoke about adopting her daughter with Jake Bongiovi, leaning on her mum as her ‘9-1-1’, and raising a girl in a world that won’t let her settle.
Key Takeaways
Millie Bobby Brown said she was unprepared for the ‘overwhelming’ love of parenthood in a UNICEF Instagram clip.
She and husband Jake Bongiovi adopted a baby girl in 2025 .
Brown calls her mother Kelly Brown her ‘9-1-1’ and also turns to mother-in-law Dorothea Hurley for advice.
The actress described food as her ‘love language’ with her daughter.
Brown said raising a daughter is a ‘real responsibility’ to model women succeeding.
Millie Bobby Brown, the British actress best known for Stranger Things, has said she was entirely unprepared for the ‘overwhelming’ and ‘incomprehensible’ love she now feels for her adopted daughter. Speaking in a UNICEF clip shared on Instagram, the actress opened up about the emotional shift since she and husband Jake Bongiovi welcomed their baby girl through adoption in 2025.
What Millie said about parenthood
Asked what she wasn’t prepared for about becoming a parent, Brown replied, ‘The love. People say they love their children. I couldn’t, I don’t understand how that much happens in my heart. The feeling is so overwhelming. It’s just incomprehensible’.
The candid response struck a chord with fans, many of whom had followed her journey from teen star to first-time mother at 21.
Leaning on family for support
Brown said she leans heavily on her mother Kelly Brown and mother-in-law Dorothea Hurley for guidance. ‘I call my mum, she is just like my 9-1-1,’ she said, adding that she often checks in to ask whether her daughter’s behaviour is normal. ‘And if I can’t call her, I call my mother-in-law. And she is just like the same way. It’s just so nice to hear reassurance’.
A shared love for food
The actress also revealed a sweet bond built around mealtimes. ‘She loves food, and I love food. So, our love language together is food,’ Brown said. ‘She always wants to try what I’m having, and I’m always eating what she’s having’.
Raising a daughter with intent
Brown framed raising a girl as ‘a real responsibility’, saying she wants her daughter to grow up surrounded by examples of ‘girls supporting girls’ and women achieving their goals. ‘I just try to learn as much as I can and feed it into her life… building a world for her that isn’t unrealistic, but it sets a standard for her to know that she shouldn’t settle for anything less,’ she said.
From screen icon to private parent
Brown and Bongiovi, son of rock star Jon Bon Jovi, married in 2024 and announced their adoption in a joint statement in 2025, asking for privacy as they began family life. The actress has since spoken sparingly but warmly about motherhood, choosing brief interviews like the UNICEF conversation over red-carpet disclosures. Her next big-screen outing remains the much-anticipated final season of Stranger Things, due later this year.
Point of View
She’s also steering the conversation away from spectacle and toward advocacy. The ‘girls supporting girls’ line lands differently coming from someone who grew up on screen since age 11, and who has publicly fought tabloid scrutiny. It’s a calculated, but credible, pivot from child star to mother-as-public-role-model.
NationPress
12 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Millie Bobby Brown become a mother?
Millie Bobby Brown and husband Jake Bongiovi adopted a baby girl in 2025. The couple announced the news jointly and asked for privacy as they began family life.
What did Millie Bobby Brown say about motherhood?
She said she was unprepared for the ‘overwhelming’ and ‘incomprehensible’ love she feels for her daughter. The remarks came in a UNICEF interview clip shared on Instagram.
Who does Millie Bobby Brown turn to for parenting advice?
She relies on her mother Kelly Brown, whom she called her ‘9-1-1’, and her mother-in-law Dorothea Hurley. Brown said both offer reassurance when she has questions about her daughter’s behaviour.
Who is Millie Bobby Brown’s husband?
She is married to Jake Bongiovi, son of rock musician Jon Bon Jovi. The couple wed in 2024 before adopting their daughter the following year.
