A temporary protective order in Massachusetts against Ezra Miller, the embattled star of “The Flash,” was lifted on Friday. Miller was accused by the mother of a 12-year old nonbinary child of acting inappropriately. The actor also allegedly harassed the child’s family.
“I’m encouraged by today’s outcome and very grateful at this moment to everyone who has stood beside me and sought to ensure that this egregious misuse of the protective order system was halted,” Miller wrote in a statement on Instagram.
Miller, who uses they/them pronouns and identifies as nonbinary, never faced criminal charges. In their Instagram statement, Miller argued that the protective order issued against them was being “used as weapons by those seeking attention or fleeting tabloid fame or some sort of personal vengeance when there are people in true and dire need of these services.”
Miller also faulted the press coverage of the incident. “I implore those members of the media who have recklessly spread false claims and failed to accurately report the truth and context of this story, to hold themselves to a higher standard and take the time to find the facts, rather than chasing the clicks,” Miller wrote on Instagram.
The Daily Beast broke the story of the accusations against Miller, reviewing photographs and contemporaneous text messages, as well as talking to the actor’s accusers and a neighbor who witnessed some of the incidents. Miller allegedly behaved erratically, exploded in anger, and later “made the child uncomfortable by hugging them and pressing their body closely against them.”
“The Flash” star has been embroiled in several different controversies in recent years. In 2020, video emerged depicting Miller as they appear to be choking a woman outside of a bar in Iceland. No charges were filed. The actor was also arrested twice in Hawaii for disorderly conduct and harassment. Miller pled no contest to a single count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct, paying a $500 fine. The harassment charge in Hawaii was dismissed. In 2022, Miller was charged with felony burglary in Vermont after police investigated their involvement with a robbery at a private residence. That was later adjudicated to a misdemeanor unlawful trespass charge, which Miller pled guilty to in January.
In 2022, Miller apologized for their behavior and announced that they were “suffering [from] complex mental health issues” and had begun treatment. The public relations scandal, however, overshadowed the release and promotional campaign of “The Flash,” a DC comics adaptation that flopped at the box office when it opened this summer. Miller gave no press interviews in the lead-up to the film’s debut.
In their Instagram statement, Miller wrote, “On a personal note, I want everyone to know that I am continuing to do my best to preserve my own wellness and what I can to reverse the collateral damage this ordeal has brought upon me and those close to me.”
