Joss Whedon Abuse Allegations: Sarah Michelle Gellar Speaks out After Charisma Carpenter's Note

Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar has responded to the allegations made against [...]

By Alyssa Fikse

Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar has responded to the allegations made against Joss Whedon by actress Charisma Carpenter. Carpenter posted a lengthy statement on social media, claiming that Whedon "abused" his power and "traumatized" her on the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series, Angel. While Gellar did not get into details in her brief Instagram response, she supported Carpenter's decision to come forward.

"While I am proud to have my name associated with Buffy Summers, I don't want to be forever associated with the name Joss Whedon," Gellar wrote. "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. But I stand with all survivors of abuse and am proud of them for speaking out."

"For nearly two decades, I have held my tongue and even made excuses for certain events that traumatize me to this day," Carpenter explained on social media. "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 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."

Carpenter revealed that Whedon was particularly cruel to her over her pregnancy and made life on set a nightmare for her. "Like his ongoing, passive-aggressive threats to fire me, which wreaks havoc on a young actor's self-esteem," she continued. "And callously calling me 'fat' to colleagues when I was 4 months pregnant, weighing 126 lbs. He was mean and biting, disparaging about others openly, and often played favorites, pitting people against one another to compete and vie for his attention and approval."

Carpenter claimed that Whedon blamed her for "sabotaging the show" with her pregnancy, and retaliated by forcing her into situations that were unsafe for her health. "At six months pregnant, I was asked to report to work at 1:00 AM after my doctor recommended shortening my work hours. Due to long and physically demanding days and the emotional stress of having to defend my needs as a working pregnant woman, I began to experience Braxton Hicks contractions. It was clear to me the 1:00 AM call was retaliatory."

Carpenter said that she felt that she needed to speak out against Whedon in the aftermath of the news that he allegedly created a toxic work environment on the set of Justice League for actor Ray Fisher. "It has taken me so long to muster the courage to make this statement publicly. The gravity of it is not lost on me," she concluded. "As a single mother whose family's livelihood is dependent on my craft, I'm scared, Despite my fear about its impact on my future, I can no longer remain silent. This is overdue and necessary. It is time."

Her Buffy co-star Amber Benson offered her support on Twitter. "Buffy was a toxic environment and it starts at the top. [Charisma] is speaking truth and I support her 100%. There was a lot of damage done during that time and many of us are still processing it twenty plus years later."

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