Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress Eliza Dushku has addressed the allegations brought against Joss Whedon by Charisma Carpenter and praised her former co-star for speaking out. In a post on Instagram, Dushku — who played Faith Lehane, a fellow Slayer, in the iconic series — thanked Carpenter for coming forward to speak about her experience. “My heart aches for you & I’m so sorry you have held this for so long,” Dushku wrote. “Your post was powerful, painful, and painted a picture we’ll collectively never un-see or un-know. Thank you. I hadn’t known it and I won’t forget it.”
“May you and countless others feel the solidarity and connection you have likely missed for too long,” Dushku also wrote. “From courage, come change and hope. It starts and will end because of courageous truth-tellers like you. I admire, respect, and love you.” The actress added, “Profound healing can only come from naming and disclosing what actually happened, the necessary first step (once someone’s ready) to freeing ourselves from our secrets, untold truths which have kept us isolated, ashamed, and held hostage.” She also stated, “Neglecting to ‘name’ the power/gender/sexual/racial abuse epidemic in the entertainment industry (and for that matter society in general), enables the abusers and only emboldens and ultimately fortifies abusive systems.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
View this post on Instagram
On Thursday, Carpenter took to Twitter to share her statement, which included claims that Whedon created a toxic working environment on the set of Buffy, along with allegations that he abused his power as the creator of the series. “For nearly two decades, I have held my tongue and even made excuses for certain events that traumatize me to this day,” Carpenter wrote. “Joss Whedon abused his power on numerous occasions while working together on the sets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.”
She went on to write, “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 physical condition from which I still suffer. It is with a beating, heavy heart that I say I coped in isolation and, at times, destructively.”
In addition to Dushku, Buffy stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and Michelle Trachtenberg both issued statements supporting their former castmate. Gellar very boldly said that she never wants “to be forever associated” with Whedon again. Trachtenberg stated that the cast knew “what he did.” Whedon does not appear to have issued a comment at this time.
