Former ‘Stranger Things’ Actress Says Final Season Return Could Have Helped Fund Her Cancer Care

Jennifer Marshall, who played Max Mayfield’s mother Susan on Stranger Things, says returning for the show’s final season could have helped her afford health care while battling cancer.

In an Instagram video shared Tuesday, Marshall questioned why her character was missing from season five and explained that working on the show would have helped her qualify for union health insurance during her treatment.

“I had cancer, I get it,” Marshall wrote in the caption. “But I was in remission during the shooting of season five. Shooting would have helped me obtain my health insurance through the union. Maybe they had too many characters, idk — but obviously Susan Hargrove is the worst mother ever,” she added with humor.

Marshall, a military veteran, previously revealed in a 2022 Facebook post that she had been diagnosed with stage 3 cancer after cancer in her foot spread to her lymph nodes. She noted at the time that she was able to complete filming season four while undergoing treatment.

In her latest video, Marshall said she was especially puzzled by Susan’s absence during key moments involving her daughter Max, including her hospitalization and high school graduation. Unlike several other parents on the show, Susan is never shown or mentioned during those scenes.

“How often I think about where TF Max’s mom was during season five,” Marshall wrote over the video. She answered her own question in the comments: “Every day. Not all day, but every day.”

Marshall, who is now in remission, has raised the issue before. After the series finale aired on New Year’s Eve, she posted another message asking fans where they thought Susan had gone.

“Okay folks! It’s over… but where was she?” Marshall wrote. “What kind of mother isn’t there for her child while she’s in the hospital? Give me all your theories.”

Fans offered a range of explanations, from Susan being killed off-screen to working extra jobs to cover Max’s medical bills.

Even Sadie Sink, who plays Max, shared her own theory in an interview. She noted that parental absences are common on the show, except for Karen Wheeler, played by Cara Buono.

“My theory is that Max’s mom must have disappeared or died at some point in the rift at the end of season four,” Sink said, pointing out that the rift runs through the trailer park where Max lives.

While the show never addressed Susan’s fate, Marshall’s comments have reignited discussion among fans — and highlighted the real-life challenges actors can face when roles end unexpectedly.