‘Buffy’ Star Accuses Joss Whedon Of ‘Toxic Work Environment’

Buffy star Charisma Carpenter comes out with allegations against Joss Whedon in regards to a hostile and toxic working environment and backs Ray Fisher who has similar allegations against Whedon while he filmed Justice League.

Carpenter, who played Cordelia Chase on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off, Angel, posted a statement on social media accusing Joss Whedon of bad conduct while she filmed the shows twenty years ago and said “Joss was the vampire.”

“For nearly two decades, I have held my tongue and even made excuses for certain events that traumatize me to this day,” states the post. “Joss Whedon abused his power on numerous occasions while working together on the sets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. While he found his misconduct amusing, it only served to intensify my performance anxiety, disempower me, and alienate me from my peers. The disturbing incidents triggered a chronic condition from which I still suffer. It is with a beating, heavy heart that I say I coped in isolation, and, at times destructively.”

The post goes on to accuse Whedon of calling her fat while she was pregnant, and in regards to Ray Fisher, Carpenter offers, “Last summer, when Ray Fisher publicly accused Joss of abusive and unprofessional behavior toward the cast and crew during reshoots on the Justice League set in 2017, it gutted me. Joss has a history of being casually cruel. He has created hostile and toxic work environments since his early career. I know because I experienced it first-hand. Repeatedly.”

Ray Fisher responds

Fisher took to Twitter to respond with, “Charisma Carpenter is one of the bravest people I know. I am forever grateful for her courage and for her lending her voice to the Justice League investigation. Read her truth. Share her truth. Protect her at all costs. It is time.” A>E

Buffy cast responds

Charisma Carpenter’s fellow Buffy costar Amber Benson also tweeted her support: “Buffy was a toxic environment and it starts at the top. There was a lot of damage done during that time and many of us are still processing it twenty plus years later.”

Sarah Michelle Gellar also posted in response, “While I am proud to have my name associated with Buffy Summer, I don’t want to be forever associated with the name Joss Whedon. I am more focused on raising my family and surviving a pandemic currently, so I will not be making any further statements at this time. I stand with all survivors of abuse and am proud of them for speaking out.”

Michelle Trachtenberg reposted Gellar’s comments and added, “Thank you @sarahmgellar for saying this. I am brave enough now as a 35 year old woman….To repost this. Because. This must. Be known. As a teenager. With his not appropriate behavior….very. Not. Appropriate. So now. People know. What Joss. Did.”

Joss Whedon a fake feminist

Back in 2017 also saw the ex-wife of Joss Whedon accuse him of being a fake feminist and a hypocrite.  

It’s thought that Whedon getting dropped from Batgirl and the HBO series The Nevers is due to all the recent allegations, with it said Whedon will no longer be working at Warner Bros.