'Stranger Things'' Gaten Matarazzo Recalls 40-Year-Old Mom Crushing On Him At 13: 'That's Upsetting'
"Stranger Things" star Gaten Matarazzo has revealed that an adult fan confessed to having a crush on him when he was a minor.
Matarazzo shot to stardom at 13 when he starred as the curly-haired, lisping Dustin Henderson in the Netflix science-fiction-horror drama series.
But amid the attention, the young actor learned firsthand that there's truth to the saying that fame is a double-edged sword.
During a recent interview on the "Inside of You" podcast, Matarazzo, now 21, recalled an "uncomfortable" fan interaction in which a 40-something mom told him she'd had a crush on him since he was 13.
"This woman in her 40s said straight up, she goes, 'I've had a crush on you since you were 13,' and I was like, 'That's upsetting!'" Matarazzo told host Michael Rosenbaum on Tuesday's episode of his podcast.
The "Honor Society" star said he tried to give the woman the benefit of the doubt only for her to double down on her comments.
"I'm sure she just meant, like, 'Aw this kid's cute.' But then she doubled down. [She was] like, 'I'm aware of the age difference,' and then I was like, 'Alright,'" Matarazzo explained.
Read also: 'Stranger Things' Season 5 Spoilers: One Character Is Confirmed To Return In Final Episodes
The woman's teen daughter apparently also found her mom's remarks creepy.
"And her daughter was with her, and her daughter goes, 'Mom, what the f**k?' I swear to God, this girl must have been like 13, and she goes, 'Mom, what the f**k,'" Matarazzo said on the podcast.
In addition to this, Matarazzo revealed that some fans have grabbed his backside without his permission over the years.
But inappropriate fan interactions aside, Matarazzo said he's nothing but grateful for his stint on "Stranger Things."
"I am very OK with 'Stranger Things' being very likely the biggest thing I will ever do," Matarazzo shared. "And it will most likely be the thing I am remembered for even if I consistently work after this."
"And I am so cool with that as long as it facilitates happiness going forward, security and more work going forward," he added. "What more could I ask for? I don't want to maintain a sense of relevance at this point when it isn't even something I particularly enjoy that much."
Matarazzo is currently filming "Stranger Things" Season 5 alongside his co-stars Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Winona Ryder, Natalia Dyer, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Noah Schnapp, Joe Keery, Charlie Heaton, and David Harbour, among many others.
The fifth and final season will wrap up the story of the Hawkins gang as they try to defeat Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).
"Stranger Things" Season 5 is expected to premiere on Netflix in 2025.
