Stranger Things star Priah Ferguson, who plays Erica Sinclair in the series, has stepped in to shut down a viral TikTok video that falsely accused her co‑star Winona Ryder of wanting fewer scenes with her. The clip, which spliced together unrelated interview footage, quickly gained traction online and sparked unfounded speculation about tension between the two actors.
Ferguson's swift response not only clarified the situation but also earned widespread praise from fans, who commended her for defending Ryder against baseless rumours.
Priah Ferguson Shuts Down a Deceptive Viral Video
A viral TikTok video claims that Ferguson opened up in an interview, saying that Ryder wants fewer scenes with Ferguson.
The video was posted on 29 December 2025, and has garnered 1.1 million views. The creator @ww2839 captioned the post: 'Winona is ruthless for this :(.'
@ww2839 Winona is ruthless for this :( #winonaryder #priahferguson #ericasinclair #joycebyers #strangerthings5
♬ A different age - Music
The video featured an overlay caption claiming, 'Priah Ferguson reflects on when she overheard Winona Ryder telling the Duffer Brothers she "wanted fewer scenes with Priah" because she believed her Instagram posts were too revealing.'
It then spliced unrelated interview footage to make Ferguson appear upset, with captions suggesting she was addressing Ryder directly. The clip concluded with a picture of Ryder and the caption: 'She has no shame.'
Recognising the traction the video has gained, Ferguson publicly refuted the claims. She commented on the video:
'This is not true! Winona is one of the kindest people I've metl 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! I usually ignore stuff like this, but I'm not going to let anyone come for Ms.Winona.'
@flowre.xo I really like how she stood up for winona because of the misinformation people are spreading on the Internet its rlly sweet of her🩷🩷. #priahferguson #winonaryder #fyp #omgpage #kindness
♬ original sound - cherry 🧟♀️
The creator has since turned off the comments on the video. Ferguson also shared her comment on her Instagram stories, reiterating that Ryder has always been supportive and kind.
The Original Interview Behind the Clip
After the deceptive video went viral, a concerned TikTok creator shared the original video, which came from an interview Ferguson did with FOX 11 Los Angeles a month ago. The segment was for their show The Sit, entitled 'Priah Ferguson on Stranger Things Ending, Finding Her Voice, and Cooking Up What's Next.'
@humpbackwhsle @mm literally lying on winnona for no reason for what? 😭 #strangerthings5 #winnonaryder #priahferguson #fyp #ericasinclair
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During the interview, Ferguson was asked, 'What do you remember about your first acting class or audition?'
She replied: 'I will say my first audition—well, my first big audition—was really intimidating. I remember after the audition, I cried, because in-person auditions were very common back then. The casting director was really intimidating, and I'm sensitive, so she kind of hurt my feelings a little bit.'
The TikTok video posted by user @humpbackwhsle helps to dispel rumours about a feud between Ryder and Ferguson, showing that no such conflict exists.
Netizens Commend Priah Ferguson
Ferguson's defence of Ryder drew admiration from social media. Some of the comments read:
- 'This is why I love Priah Ferguson so much.'
- 'Priah is so sweet for defending her.'
Others pointed out that Ryder didn't have social media and would be unlikely to criticise someone's Instagram posts. One user wrote: 'Winona is a super progressive person, she wouldn't be complaining about "too revealing" she's not some old trumper lady.' Another added: 'I was wondering why Winona would request less scenes with someone because of how they dressed on their Instagram 😭.'
Fans also criticised the video's creator for disabling comments to prevent people from seeing Ferguson's response. Others were frustrated that the video had not been deleted, despite Ferguson publicly calling it out.
