'Stranger Things' Star Perfectly Shuts Down Rumors That Winona Ryder Requested Fewer Scenes With Her

In Season 2 of Stranger Things, audiences met Erica Sinclair, the sharp-tongued, no-nonsense younger sister of Lucas Sinclair, played by Priah Ferguson. What began as a scene-stealing supporting role quickly turned Ferguson into one of the show’s most reliable sources of comic relief and truth bombs.

That reputation is exactly why a recent TikTok misrepresentation of her words fell apart on contact—and why Ferguson wasted no time correcting it.

The clip in question was pulled from an interview Ferguson gave to Fox 11 Los Angeles’ The Sit, where she reflected on her first major Hollywood audition. Talking candidly about how daunting that experience was, she recalled leaving the room in tears after encountering a casting director she found intimidating.

The moment was personal, specific, and unrelated to anyone she currently works with. Ferguson said:

“It was really intimidating. The casting director was really intimidating, and I'm sensitive, so she kind of hurt my feelings a bit.”

That was it. No co-stars. No behind-the-scenes drama. Just a young actor describing the not-so-glamorous reality of early auditions.

But when the clip was reposted on TikTok, it was edited and captioned to suggest something far messier: that Ferguson had overheard Winona Ryder asking the Duffer brothers for fewer scenes with her due to Ferguson’s Instagram posts.

The caption read:

“Priah Ferguson reflects on when she overheard Winona Ryder telling the Duffer brothers she wants ‘less scenes with Priah’ because she thinks her Instagram posts are ‘too revealing.’”

The video by @m.m.flip.it.around quickly gained traction, racking up nearly 200,000 likes and inspiring response videos that pushed total views well past 800,000.

Posted on December 29, and now with comments off, you can watch the edited video below:

The problem, of course, is that none of it was true.

Ferguson jumped into the comments and shut the rumor down fast:

“This is not true! Winona is one of the kindest people I've met! It's really sad that people will edit an interview of me that has no correlation to what this caption says. Please leave Winona alone!”

Ferguson added that she usually ignores online rumors, but drew a clear line when it came to Ryder: she wasn’t going to “let anyone come for Ms. Winona❤️.”

That response alone might have been enough, but Ferguson didn’t stop there. After a fan echoed the rumor under one of her Instagram posts: “Winona Ryder really said she wants less screen time with you bc of your IG photos?”

Ferguson replied directly:

“That's not true. She never said that. Winona has been one of the most kindest people I've ever met since I've been working in this industry. They twisted this narrative from an Interview I did with The Sit in LA.”

Ryder has not publicly commented on the situation, though BuzzFeed has reportedly contacted her representatives.

You can watch Ferguson’s full interview with The Sit below:

- YouTubeFox 11 Los Angeles

Ferguson’s response only underscores why she was such a perfect fit for Stranger Things’ Erica Sinclair. By the series finale, Erica is no longer just comic relief; she’s part of the fight, teaming up with Mr. Clarke and others as Hawkins confronts Vecna and the expanding threat of the Upside Down.

The Duffer brothers have been clear that Erica’s future was never in question.

Matt Duffer put it plainly:

“She’s absolutely going to be valedictorian. That is for sure. What happens beyond that, I don’t know. She can go where she wants to go.”

Ferguson’s response prompted a wave of reactions online, with many users backing her up and criticizing the clip for taking her words out of context.

At just 19, Ferguson already has a résumé that extends well beyond Hawkins. She graduated from Fayette County High School earlier this year, opting to keep her real-life teenage milestones intact even while starring on one of Netflix’s biggest series.

She’s also set to appear in the upcoming biographical film Samo Lives, about Jean-Michel Basquiat, alongside Kelvin Harrison Jr., Danny Ramirez, Dane DeHaan, and Kathryn Newton.

In addition, Ferguson recently revealed she’s developing a podcast series with the Neese brothers, producers of The Umbrella Academy.

Speaking to Atlanta News First, she teased the project’s premise:

“It’s based on a young girl named Asha. She discovers her grandfather’s hard drive, and she kind of goes on this sci-fi journey and learns about how her grandfather had had this secret, crazy sci-fi life. And she goes on that journey through the hard drive.”

For someone who’s grown up in the public eye, Ferguson has shown a clear understanding of when to ignore the internet and when to correct it. This was one of those moments that demanded clarity. And like Erica Sinclair herself, she handled it with precision, confidence, and zero patience for nonsense.