The temporary harassment prevention order put in place against Ezra Miller for allegedly harassing a 12 -year-old Massachusetts minor and their mother has expired, and the 30-year-old actor is speaking out for the first time. “I’m encouraged by today’s outcome and very grateful at this moment to everyone who has stood by me and sought to ensure this egregious misuses of the protective order system was halted,” Ezra began in a lengthy statement they shared to Instagram on Friday, June 30. “Protective orders are meant to provide safety for individuals, families and children who are in danger. They are not meant to be 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.”
“I have been unjustly and directly targeted by an individual who the facts have shown has a history of such manipulative and destructive actions,” the Justice League actor continued before taking aim at the media. “I implored those members of the media who have recklessly spread false claims and failed to accurately report the truth and content of this story, to hold themselves to a high standard and take the time to find the facts, rather than chasing the clicks.” Ezra then switched gears and let fans know they will continue to work on healing from the ordeal.
“I want everyone to know that I am continuing to do my best to preserve my own wellness and what I can do to reverse the collateral damage this ordeal has brought upon me and those close to me,” Ezra noted. “Finally, to all you many beings in this world who have had the enormous courage to see me through it all and make it here with me — I will spend a long time trying to explain to you what it has meant to have your support. You have my undying gratitude, admiration, and love.”
The harassment order’s expiration comes one year after it was filed in Greenfield, Mass. The non-binary minor’s mother claimed Ezra acted erratically when they were spending time together in their neighbor’s basement and was wildly inappropriate with their child, per The Daily Beast, which claimed to have reviewed a copy of the protection order and spoken with those involved, aside from Ezra.
As for Ezra’a alleged inappropriate behavior, the mother claimed they warned her that her child would one day turn against her and that the child should be taught by them. “Miller focused their attention on the 11-year-old, saying, ‘I’ve talked extensively with your child, and they have a lot of power to them. At one point, you’re going to realize that you don’t have any control over them anymore. They’re an elevated being, and they would be lucky to have someone like me guide them,'” the mother recalled them saying.
Another individual present who spoke with The Daily Beast accused Ezra of getting in their face and threatening them while armed with a gun. “Ezra explodes and started screaming directly into my face. They said, ‘You don’t even know what the f*** you’re talking about. What did you say to me? What did you just say to me?!’” they claimed.
Ezra allegedly harassed the group several months in a row, and at one point made the child wildly uncomfortable when they hugged them and pressed their body against them. The harassment stopped once news of the order made headlines.
Another family also requested a protective order against Ezra in 2022 and claimed that the Flash actor used “violence, intimidation, threat of violence, fear, paranoia, delusions, and drugs to hold sway over” their child. Furthermore, Ezra was arrested in 2022 twice for disorderly conduct, harassment, and on suspicion of second-degree assault, per The Hollywood Reporter. In addition, they were charged with felony burglary for allegedly stealing bottles of alcohol from a residential home in Vermont.
Ezra attributed their actions to severe mental health struggles in an apology obtained by The Holywood Reporter in Aug. 2022. “Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment,” they said in a statement via their representative. “I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.”
Ezra laid low following the harassment news and was not involved in the press tour for 2023’s The Flash. Ezra did, however, attend the film’s premiere on June 12.