Millie Bobby Brown Says She Learned to 'Love' Herself with the Help of Fiancé Jake Bongiovi

According to the 'Stranger Things' star, "When I met Jake, I just felt I could be loud. He embraced that and encouraged that. And I fell in love with myself while being with him"

Millie Bobby Brown is opening up about finding love for herself after meeting fiancé Jake Bongiovi.

The Stranger Things star, 19, told Glamour in their Women of the Year Issue that she met the actor — who is the son of musician Jon Bon Jovi — at “a really ... interesting time” in her life.

"I was so upset with myself and the decisions I had made," she explained, seemingly referring to her relationship with TikToker Hunter Ecimovic which she previously called an "unhealthy situation."

Related: Millie Bobby Brown Talks About Engagement to Jake Bongiovi on U.K. Radio: 'It Does Feel Different'

The actress recalled how she could embrace her true self with Bongiovi, 21, sharing, “When I met Jake, I just felt I could be loud. He embraced that and encouraged that. And I fell in love with myself while being with him.”

"I was like, 'Why do you love me? And then he listed all these things that I hated about myself. I was like, 'You see good in those things?' And he was like, 'Of course I do,'” she recalled.

"Those are things that I love about myself now," she continued. "He was a really big, huge part of me loving myself and becoming a woman. It was like, 'Wow, I really love this person because he allows me to love myself.'"

Related: Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi's Relationship Timeline

The Netflix star admitted the intensity of the pair’s connection was “bizarre” and revealed that she never fantasized of wedding but rather having a family, adding, "My dream was to have a baby."

She had a change of heart about tying the knot after meeting Bongiovi — with whom she sparked dating rumors in June 2021 — explaining, "After meeting Jake and seeing, 'Oh, I don't have to be this stereotypical wife for him. He doesn't want me to be that either. He wants me to go and do my thing and live my life, and he will hold my hand in the process of that.' I was like, 'Oh, I do want this.'"

Brown admitted she has no doubts about getting married at a young age and trusts her own instincts.

"It's like — I know I should make this movie now. I know I should write this book now. I know I should do this now," she said. "It's not because I can't do it in 10 years; of course I can do it in 10 years. But why, when I know that it's going to work now? Just like Florence [by Mills, her beauty brand] will be there in 10 years. You'll be able to see my movie in 10 years on TV. And I know that Jake and I will be OK ... It's like, why wait? Let's go for it."

Related: Millie Bobby Brown and Fiancé Jake Bongiovi Celebrate Engagement with a Party

Brown, who got engaged to Bongiovi in April, affirmed that they both have the support of their families as they take the next step in their relationship.

"We were modeled by wonderful, loving relationships," she explained. "So it's something that we both had that mutual drive for. His family were so wonderfully accepting of me and embraced me, and it's so nice to find a second family in that."

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In August, Brown also reflected one her instant connection with Bongiovi in an interview with The Sunday Times, sharing that she "knew he was going to be a huge part of my life" the first time they spoke.

"I ran to my mum and said, ‘I really, really like him!’ After we met we knew we never wanted to leave each other’s side," she said. "You can’t pinpoint why [someone is 'the one'], it’s just the feeling of knowing that that’s the person you want to spend the rest of your time with."

"I think so much of life is overthinking," she added. "The one thing that made clear sense to me was him. So I didn’t really have to do much thinking.”

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