Millie Bobby Brown is engaged at the young age of 19 years old, but wait… isn’t she Eleven? HA, I hope you enjoyed reading that joke for the 17,000th time today – I certainly loathed writing it, but it too is all I’ve seen on my timeline since the teen actor announced her intention to marry her boyfriend of three years, Jake Bongiovi (son of musician, Jon Bon Jovi).
Memes about any celebrity engagement are expected, of course, but this one has taken over the internet like none other – and the joke is born in a much more earnest concern, that Millie is actually ‘too young’ to get engaged. The discourse started almost immediately and ranged from genuinely well-intentioned questioning about the complexities of marrying young, to intense condemnation of a young couple in love. It’s the latter part that got me thinking, is this really that serious?
From Daily Mail comment sections to Millie’s own Instagram, countless people have voiced their strong opinion that she shouldn’t be rushing into marriage. But few have been able to explain exactly why (and why it’s any of their business for that matter). Sure, Millie could end up divorced as a young woman, but aren’t we passed viewing divorce as a sign of failure?
Millie is 19, but she’s also an award-winning, legacy creating actor with millions in wealth, the career she’s built in 10 short years mammoths the kind of life experience some middle-aged adults have. Sure, divorce might mean a court battle at an age one wouldn’t particularly wish, but lots of people deal with it at every age, and one can't possibly predict how easy or painful a divorce may be depending on age.
Frankly, the prospect of Millie divorcing young doesn’t seem bad enough for hordes of public commentators shitting on what should be a joyous day for her – her marriage could be long-lasting, or it could be short, either way that’s nothing to be ashamed of nor a marker of someone’s success or value in our society.
So perhaps we should be letting her enjoy this time in her life, rather than jumping to condemn or trivialise her decision just because it seems out of the ordinary. Relationships feel as important at 19 as they do at 39, if it worked for Dolly Parton, why not Millie?