There is little doubt that Caleb McLaughlin is doing an excellent job at playing Lucas Sinclair in Stranger Things. However, the actor confirms that the show’s popularity also meant having to deal with a lot of racism. During a Q&A session at Heroes Comic Con Belgium, McLaughlin opened up about his experiences when the Netflix series was just starting out (via Twitter).

McLaughlin shared how “some people didn’t stand in my line [at Comic-Con] because I was Black.” He then added that, when he was younger, it affected him a lot, prompting his parents to sit him down and tell him that he was treated differently because he was “a Black child on the show.” Despite the trauma, McLaughlin says he still has hope for the better. He revealed that he intends to turn the hatred into positivity. “With my platform, I wanna spread positivity and love because I do not give hate back to people who give hate to me,” McLaughlin said. It’s disappointing to learn that young actors have to deal with negativity, even on a show that is believed to have an open-minded audience. Nevertheless, we’re hoping that Caleb McLaughlin manages to do away with all the negativity and thrive in his career. Lucas Sinclair went through a lot in the previous season of Stranger Things. However, Lucas is expected to return along with the other Hawkins kids in Stranger Things Season 5. For now, Stranger Things Season 5 has not yet been given an official release date. Stay tuned for more updates on this story.

Stranger Things Star Caleb McLaughlin Traumatized by Racist Fans - 8