Imagine becoming a household name overnight. One minute you're sitting there, living your normal workaday existence - and suddenly you're projected to worldwide stardom. While of course, fame comes with some pretty sizeable perks, there are also some massive negatives to having your face on billboards and your name plastered all over the internet.
A lack of privacy is something that lots of seasoned celebrities struggle to deal with, so imagine being a young star just after your big break - daunting probably describes the feeling pretty well.
Stranger Things became a massive phenomenon on Netflix in 2016, and one of the main attractions for viewers was the slew of incredibly talented young actors. While the likes of Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard stole the hearts of fans for their touching performances, one character that really managed to capture the underdog spirit of the show was Jonathan Byers, played by Brit actor Charlie Heaton.
Sadly though, Heaton was involved in controversy before the second season of the show, after being stopped for cocaine possession during a random luggage check as he tried to enter the US. Thankfully, the 23-year-old was not arrested; instead he opted to withdraw his application to enter the country, and was sent back to London.
Speaking about the ordeal to Flaunt magazine, not to mention the fallout, Heaton had this to say:
"It was just awful. It was hard. Everything happened so fast, and I hadn’t come to terms with the fact that I was famous. When something steps in from the work you are doing and breaks into your personal life…you feel kind of vulnerable. All of a sudden it becomes a very big story and it gets really blown out of proportion."
Initially, there were concerns that Heaton could be refused entry to the US - which, of course, would massively affect the show. However, he is now allowed to enter the US to work, and will return next month for filming on season three.
"At the end of the day I just wanted to go back. I want to work and continue to work—that’s all I’ve ever done," revealed Heaton. Speaking immediately after the incident, Heaton spoke to People:
"My planned travel to the U.S. last week was affected by an issue at U.S. immigration, and I am working to rectify it as soon as possible.
"I do want to clarify that I was not arrested or charged with a crime, and cooperated fully with the U.S. officials at LAX. I’m sorry to all the fans and my Stranger Things family for missing the premiere. ‘We are all so proud of this season and I would never want this story to negatively impact the show."
While cocaine possession is a serious offence, I for one am glad Heaton was allowed to reprise his role as Jonathan Byers. The show would never be the same without Nancy's moody love interest, and hopefully this was the scare he needed to make sure something like this never affects his career again.