In a social media post, they told disappointed fans that the British actor was no longer able to attend due to a problem with his passport.
However, the upset came just four days after a video of Joe breaking down in tears during a Q&A at London Film and Comic Con went viral.
The moment came amid growing reports that Joe was mistreated by staff at the event, with several attendees claiming to have seen him being ‘yelled at’ by organizers for spending too much time with the fans.
Joe rose to fame almost overnight after debuting as Eddie Munson in the fourth season of stranger things in May, so he was in high demand at the convention.
It was reported that Joe’s slot machine was oversold by “400 tickets” and he was desperately trying to ensure that every guest had a good experience despite the hostile behavior of the staff.
The LFCC did not respond to BuzzFeed News’ request for comment at the time, but on the second day of the convention, fan Kimberley Burrows addressed the reports when she had the opportunity to speak with Joe during a ‘a panel.
“I’m sure many of us heard what happened yesterday – whether it was true or not – about how you were treated,” she said. “I just wanted to say thank you from all of us, we are so grateful that you are sharing your time.”
Other participants in the crowd filmed Joe’s reaction as Kimberly spoke, and he held back tears as she continued, “Thank you for signing our stuff. To spend time with us and make our summer.
“However, you were treated yesterday,” she continued, “we are very grateful to you for that – thank you.”
As the crowd cheered, Joe looked completely startled and wiped tears from his eyes as he began to cry. Videos of the exchange quickly gained traction online, with many seeing them as evidence of Joe’s difficult experience at the convention.
So when German Comic Con confirmed that he would no longer be attending the following weekend’s event, people began to speculate that it was actually due to his treatment at the LFCC.
“A few days ago he had to surrender his passport to the UK authorities for a US work visa and this, as it stands, will not be returned until MONDAY,” GCC wrote last Thursday. “The possibility of him collecting his passport tomorrow before taking off for his flight is close to zero.”
“There is also no way to get a temporary passport or similar. We really tried everything today and contacted all the authorities and all the contact points,” they added. there are no words for the disappointment and frustration on all levels. Joseph is also extremely sad to have to disappoint us all in such a short time.
Although Joe was unable to attend the event, some of his stranger things the co-stars were still present, including 18-year-old Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven.
The young British actor even praised Joe as she took part in a fan Q&A, even though she hadn’t had any scenes with her character throughout the season.
During the panel, a fan mentioned a viral TikTok sound that was created behind one of Eddie’s scenes. In the Netflix series, Eddie yells at his friend Chrissy to “wake up” after finding her in a catatonic state.
His lines were edited together to create a song on the social media app, which was a huge hit with fans.
In a clip from the event, Millie was asked about the song, to which she told the crowd, “You’re pressuring me – how’s it going?”
The audience then began to sing, which clearly took the actor by surprise. “Can I just say how weird this is, like, why is this a thing? Do you know what I mean?” she asked.
However, Millie went on to acknowledge the brilliant way Joe brought his character to life, saying: “I mean he did an amazing job and it was very good. I’m sure [the song] was also his idea. He is very, very good.
While many were touched by Millie’s sweet tribute to her absent co-star at the convention, others were distracted by her accent as they wondered why the English star looked so American.
“Is she British?” one person asked. “I swear in every interview now that she has an American accent 😅😂.”
“Why does his accent change? someone else commented. Another person echoed, “Why does she speak with an American accent?
“She literally forgot she was British to a few,” another user added. Another wrote: “She looks so American.”
Millie was born to English parents in Marbella, Spain, but the family moved back to the UK when she was 4 years old.
When Millie was 8, they moved to Orlando. Four years later, she was chosen for stranger thingswhere her character has an American accent, and the majority of her costars are also American.
Some have pointed this out in defense of her change in accent, pointing out that she actually spent more time in the United States than in England, so it’s no surprise that her way of speaking is inconsistent.
“She’s been in America for a while now???? obviously her British accent will fade,” one person wrote. Another agreed, “When you’re in the US for a while you lose your accent…especially if you’re playing an American character from child to adult.”
Millie is far from the only British star to have seen this happen, with Harry Styles admitting earlier this year that his Northern English accent had taken on an American accent after spending a lot of time in the United States.
Discussing his accent during an interview with Capital FM, Harry said: “I think it’s all over the place because I’m from the North and lived in London for 10 years, and spent a lot time in America and all that.”
“So I think when I’m around Americans they don’t think I sound American at all, and I think sometimes when I’m around English people they expect me to sound American,” he said. he continued. “I don’t think I do, but maybe I pick up a few things along the way. I try to translate for whoever I’m with.
And it’s fair to assume that Millie can definitely relate.