‘Stranger Things’ Star Gaten Matarazzo Recalls a Mother in Her 40s Admitting She’d Had a Crush on Him Since He Was 13

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Gaten Matarazzo recently revealed a troubling experience he had with a fan, describing how the interaction made him feel very uncomfortable.

The story comes from an interview with the Stranger Things actor on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast, Inside of You.

Twenty-three-year-old Matarazzo was sharing stories about some uncomfortable interactions he’s had with fans. He said while most of these moments weren’t a big deal, one recent experience was particularly shocking. During a meet-and-greet event, a woman around 40 years old said something that really surprised him.

Matarazzo shared a recent, slightly awkward experience from a podcast appearance. He said a woman in her 40s confessed to having a childhood crush on him, telling him she’d liked him since he was 13. While the confession itself wasn’t humorous, Matarazzo found the reactions to it quite funny.

He said he was taken aback by the comment and didn’t know what to say. He added, “I just thought it was a bit hurtful, but I’m sure she only meant it as a compliment – that I was a sweet child.”

Things got even more awkward when the woman firmly repeated her previous statement. Matarazzo said she directly admitted there was a significant age difference between them. “She basically said, ‘I know we have an age gap,’ and I just responded, ‘Okay,'” he remembered.

The situation became even more uncomfortable when it turned out the woman wasn’t by herself. She had brought her teenage daughter, who immediately reacted with shock and exclaimed, “Mom, what the f?” Matarazzo emphasized that he found the whole thing deeply unsettling, not amusing at all.

Rosenbaum asked Matarazzo if he had brushed it off, but Matarazzo said he couldn’t. He explained that he’d simply said something like, “Thank you all for coming, I appreciate it,” but then he saw his mother sitting right next to him. He described the moment as “insane” and “rough.”

Gaten Matarazzo has been playing Dustin Henderson on the popular Netflix series Stranger Things since it began in 2016. The show recently concluded to widespread praise and achieved record-breaking viewership. He stars alongside Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, and Sadie Sink.

Besides his role on Stranger Things, Gaten Matarazzo also does voice work. He’ll be appearing as Sig Greebling in the Lego Star Wars special, Rebuild the Galaxy, and will voice the character Randy in an episode of the animated series Haunted Hotel called “Randy Slasher.”

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2026-01-11 19:48