Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Eliza Dushku has spoken out in support of former costar Charisma Carpenter in her allegations of toxic and abusive behavior by Joss Whedon. Dushku played Faith on Buffy and the spinoff series Angel and later starred in Whedon’s Fox series Dollhouse, which ran for two seasons. Since Carpenter’s allegations came out, numerous other Buffy actors have supported her, including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Amber Benson, and Michelle Trachtenberg.
Carpenter’s allegations against Whedon – which include claims he fired her from Angel because of her pregnancy and that he exhibited toxic, emotionally abusive patterns of behavior against her, including threatening her job and berating her appearance – seem to corroborate Ray Fisher’s past accusations. According to Fisher, Whedon showed similarly abusive behavior on the set of Justice League, which eventually led to an investigation from Warner Bros. Other Buffy stars are now adding their own pieces to the story. Benson has called the show’s set a toxic environment, and Trachtenberg claims Whedon wasn’t allowed to be alone with her on the Buffy set – a particularly disturbing allegation given the actress was a teenager when she was cast in the show.
Dushku is now adding her voice to the chorus in support of Carpenter’s claims. “CC, my heart aches for you,” Dushku wrote on Instagram. “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.” Dushku goes on to condemn Hollywood’s numerous power imbalances and the ways those imbalances allow for the continued mistreatment of women, LGBTQIA+ people, and people of color in the entertainment industry. Read her full statement below.
With every voice that speaks out to support or add to the allegations against Whedon, the stronger the case against him becomes. The stories from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer set paint a picture of mistreatment and abuse of power through his whole career, spanning decades and numerous projects. New accounts continue to come out in the wake of Carpenter’s statement, from individuals who worked on both Buffy and Angel.
Whedon’s latest project, a Victorian era sci-fi series for HBO called The Nevers, is set to premiere on April 11. Whedon stepped away from the series in November of last year after production wrapped, with Philippa Goslett named the new showrunner. At the time, Whedon said his departure was strictly due to personal reasons during the COVID-19 pandemic. As more allegations continue to come out from his days on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it’s unclear if there were other reasons behind Whedon’s exit.
Source: Eliza Dushku