Joseph Quinn Defends Stranger Things Co-Star After Serious Fan Backlash

Joseph Quinn defended Stranger Things co-star Grace Van Dien after the actress was bullied by people on the internet who didn't like her character.

By Melissa Murphy | Updated

After the release of Season 4 of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, Grace Van Dien began receiving backlash from fans over her portrayal of the cheerleader and love interest of Eddie Munson, Chrissy Cuningham. According to Digital Spy, Joseph Quinn, who plays Eddie on the show, stood up for his co-star, calling out the bullying and highlighting the negative side of the industry as a whole.

When Stranger Things Season 4 was released in July 2022, Grace Van Dien quickly found herself at the center of relentless online bullying. The actress began receiving backlash over her character, Chrissy Cunningham’s relationship with Joseph Quinn’s Eddie Munson

Many fans were unhappy with the character’s relationship. Some felt Eddie was supposed to be gay and that their relationship was disrespectful, while others chimed in about an unconfirmed age gap between the characters. Grace Van Dien got the brunt of misogynistic comments, with fans speaking out on many popular social media platforms accusing Grace of looking for “5 minutes of clout.”

During a Q&A session at Showmasters’ London Comic Con, Joseph Quinn was quick to jump in to defend his co-star. “The internet is a very unforgiving place,” the actor told fans, “It’s a place where… people can rally around hatred and misinformation.” The star went on to explain how he sat down with Grace Van Dien to talk about the incident with her. 

Joseph Quinn, who plays that wildly popular Eddie Munson on Stranger Things, only debuted on the show for Season 4 but quickly rose to fame among fans, becoming one of the most popular characters in the series. Unfortunately, his time on Stranger Things may be coming to an end. 

joseph quinn marvel

With no official announcement yet, rumors have been circulating that Joseph Quinn will not be returning as a regular on Stranger Things Season 5. Fans had to watch as the beloved character Eddie Munson succumbed to his injuries at the end of Season 4. While many refused to believe he was really dead, they may soon need to come to terms with Joseph Quinn leaving the show. 

While other characters have been brought back from the dead in past episodes of the series, for now, it appears Eddie Munson will not be getting a similar fate. Joseph Quinn has been open about his time filming Stranger Things. He has noted in the past how lucky he is to have been able to portray the character. 

While to many, his time on the show felt too short, Joseph Quinn likes Eddie Munson’s character arc, believing it was a strong and compelling beginning, middle, and end. While a cameo from Eddie Munson is not out of the question for the upcoming Season 5, fans may want to check out Joseph Quinn’s other recent works to get their fill of the actor. 

Next year, fans can see Joseph Quinn taking on a role in the A Quiet Place prequel, A Quiet Place: Day One. Stranger Things fans can anticipate the fifth and final installment in the series to be released sometime in 2024.