No, the actor who plays Dustin in Stranger Things hasn’t come out as trans – it’s fake news
Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo has been the subject of some bizarre Facebook rumours. (Jeff Vinnick/Getty/Netflix)
Gaten Matarazzo isn’t trans and that’s not why Stranger Things‘ filming has been delayed.
An false Facebook post shared by a group called The Critical Drinker on 4 July claimed that Stranger Things actor Gaten Matarazzo is transgender and that’s the reason that season five filming has been delayed, when in fact the delay was caused by the Hollywood writers’ strikes in 2023.
The photos shared on Facebook are actually images of Hereditary actress Milly Shapiro, not Gaten Matarazzo.
21-year-old Matarazzo has played Dustin Henderson in the Netflix science-fiction-horror drama series since the first season in 2016.
Currently, the fifth and final season of the hit show is in production and more than halfway complete.
“Netflix reveals reason for delays in filming of Stranger Things 5,” the untrue post reads.
“As many know, actress Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin, has become trans in the last year. And the writers had to redraw the entire Season 5 script to incorporate Dustin’s transition into the plot.
“It has not yet been revealed what this change will be, but Netflix and the authors said it will be something beautiful and respectful.”
It’s an easy claim to debunk, as the four images of the individual that the post claims to be Matarazzo is quite clearly singer and Hereditary actor Shapiro.
However, despite that, a few people in the comments did believe the post – though many were quick to call out the complete inaccuracy on hand.
“That’s not him lmaooooo, he’s not trans. That’s the girl from hereditary,” one commenter wrote.
Another posted: “Next level trolling right here.”
Others even used this completely false post about Gaten Matarazzo as an excuse to post some transphobic rhetoric, with one writing: “The fact that you had me there for a few seconds until I looked it up tells me how crazy of a world we live in. It could very well have been true.”
What do we know about Stranger Things Season 5?
With the final season of Stranger Things more than halfway complete, what do we know about the show’s final bow?
It’s been two years since the last instalment, season four, so fans are hungry to see the world of the Upside Down on their screens again.
The show’s co-creator Ross Duffer gave fans a taste of the forthcoming season with a photo of the huge cast and crew on set to his Instagram page.
“Week 24. Happy halfway to the best cast and crew ever,” Duffer posted.
As well as Gaten Matarazzo, show regulars Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, and Caleb McLaughlin are set to return.
According to Maya Hawke, who plays Robin in the show, fans who want to binge the final season may have to take some time off work.
Speaking on the Podcrushed podcast, Hawke noted each episode’s runtime is equivalent to a feature-length film.
Currently, there is no release date for Stranger Things Season 5 as the show is still in production, we may have to wait until next year, or even 2026.
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