Rewrite this headline in a neutral news style, max 10 words: Forgotten ‘Stranger Things’ Mom Says Comeback Will Benefit Cancer Fight
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The actress who played Max’s mother Stranger Things in periods 2 and 4, Jennifer Marshallhe says being invited back for season 5 would help him financially to fight cancer.
Marshall, 44, took to Instagram on Tuesday, January 6, to tell fans that returning as Susan Hargrove in the Netflix series finale would be life-changing. “I had cancer, I got it. But I was in remission during the shooting of season five. The shooting was to help me get my health insurance through the union. Maybe they had too many characters, idk but obv Susan Hargrove IS A VERY BAD MOM LMAO,” the actress posted before adding hashtags including “#cancersucks #butwhy.”
Marshall, an Army veteran, shared on Facebook in October 2022 that he was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer at the age of 39 after stage 1 cancer in his leg had spread to his lymph nodes.
His latest Instagram post that confirmed his pardon also featured a video about how often he thinks about where Susan ended up during season 5. “Every day. Not all day, every day but every day,” he replied while looking at the camera.
Related: Castle’s Susan Sullivan Reveals Lung Cancer Diagnosis, Undergoes Surgery
Susan Sullivan surprised fans earlier this month after mysterious surgery – and later revealed she is battling cancer. “Life’s little surprises try to prepare with humor and hope. We’re still going,” Sullivan, 80, wrote on X on Monday, October 16. The Castle alum — who played Martha Rodgers. […]
The video also included images that read “HUH?” and “Confused.”
Five days earlier, Marshall shared another post on Instagram that included a photo of Max, played by Sadie Sinklying in a hospital bed in a coma at the beginning of season 5. “But where was Max’s mother? a block of text read at the top of the image, while the caption continued, “Okay folks! It’s over… but where have you been? What kind of mother doesn’t want her child while he is in the hospital?”
Fans took to the comments section of a previous post to share their curiosity about Susan’s exit from season 5. “I was hoping to see you! Asking the same question,” one fan wrote, while another commented, “I wanted you at graduation!!! Everyone’s family was there but Max’s? They did him wrong!”
In the hit series, Susan turned to alcohol after her husband, Neil Hargrove, left the family home following the death of Billy Hargrove, Max’s stepfather. Susan’s last appearance was in season 4 where she played Vecna in her trailer yard.
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Stranger Things fans shared theories online as to where Susan ended up, with some social media users speculating that she may have died when Hawkins was dismembered at the end of season 4.
Sink, 23, gave his own opinion about Susan’s disappearance during an interview with her Vulturepublished on December 25, 2025. When asked if he “ever thought hard” about where his fictional mother was when Max was unconscious, Sink offered some thoughts.
“It’s a common thing for parents on the show: You just don’t know where they are without Karen Wheeler. [played by Cara Buono]. My theory is that Max’s mother must have disappeared or died at some point in the rift at the end of season four, because she goes through the trailer park,” Sink told the media before admitting that the show “did something brilliant” at the end of the season 4 finale. Stranger Things episodes.
