With DC’s The Flash set to hit theaters Friday, June 16, there is just as much excitement about the film as there is controversy regarding the film’s lead actor. Ezra Miller, who portrays the DC hero, has been embroiled in several legal issues and public discourse over the last few years, setting up questions as to whether the DC film would be released.
With The Flash’s press tour set to move forward, Miller will reportedly not appear in a significant capacity — although they did make an appearance at the film’s premiere — so as not to distract from the film. Ahead of the film’s release, we’re running through a high-level overview of Miller’s timeline of issues.
After starting with a few acting roles in indie films, Miller encountered their breakout role in 2012’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, in which they portray Patrick Stewart, a gay high-school senior who takes a depressed freshman Charlie, portrayed by Logan Lerman, under his wing with Sam, portrayed by Emma Watson. Based on the coming-of-age novel of the same name, the role officially makes Miller a household name in Hollywood.
In October 2014, Miller was officially cast as the Flash in the DC Comics Extended Universe, beating out Grant Gustin, who portrays the character in the CW series of the same name. From then on, they become a consistent addition to various big-name franchises, including the Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Between 2015 and 2019, Miller would go on to express some questionable behavior during interviews and public appearances, before eventually running into various legal issues beginning in 2020.
February 2020
In February 2020, Miller reportedly took up residence at an Airbnb in an Iceland suburb with some artists and ex-pats, with one anonymous woman comparing the house to that of a “commune.” Miller reportedly paid for food, weed, and lodging at the AirBnB, while giving questionable speeches on spirituality and possessing spiritual powers.
April 2020
In April of the same year, a disturbing video appeared to show Miller choking a woman and throwing her to the ground at a bar in Iceland. Reports said that the altercation began after “pushy” fans confronted Miller, and then they responded by physically attacking the woman.
January 2022
In January 2022, Miller posted a since-deleted video on Instagram in which they tell members of a North Carolina chapter of the Ku Klux Klan to “kill themselves” with their guns, or else “we’ll do it for you if that’s what you want.” While the rationale for the post is unclear, the video goes viral nonetheless.
March 2022
In March 2022, Miller was arrested in Hawaii and charged with disorderly conduct and harassment following a physical confrontation with patrons at a karaoke bar. Police reports indicate they began yelling “obscenities” at the patrons, grabbed a microphone from a woman singing karaoke, and later lunged at a man playing darts.
April 2022
In April of the same year, and three weeks after the March incident, Miller was again taken into custody in Hawaii for allegedly throwing a chair that hit a woman at a private party, which left the woman with a half-inch cut on her forehead.
June 2022
In June 2022, the parents of 18-year-old activist Gibson Iron Eyes, who is nonbinary, accused Miller of grooming their child. Noted by Vanity Fair, Gibson’s parents, attorney, activist Chase Iron Eyes, and pediatrician Sara Jumping Eagle allege that Miller has been involved with their child since they were 12.
Through a representative, Miller stated in August 2022 that they are being treated for “complex health issues” after having recently “gone through a time of intense crisis.” Miller apologizes to anyone alarmed or upset by their past behavior and commits to returning to a formative stage of life.