Buffy actor Charisma Carpenter accuses Joss Whedon of abuse

Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia Chase on Buffy the vampire slayer and angel, accused creator Joss Whedon of abusing her on the sets of iconic TV shows, especially while she was pregnant.

The actor tweeted a statement Wednesday, alleging that Whedon had “abused his power on numerous occasions” and created a “hostile and toxic work environment” while working with him on Buffy and angel.

Representatives for Whedon did not respond to a request for comment from BuzzFeed News.

She alleged that Whedon called her “fat” to colleagues when she was 4 months pregnant, asked her if she “was going to keep her”, and then fired her after giving birth.

“Joss has a history of being casually cruel,” Carpenter said. “While he found his misconduct funny, it only heightened my performance anxiety, confused me and distanced me from my peers.

She said the “disturbing incidents” triggered a “chronic physical condition” that she still has. She said she faced it in isolation and “sometimes, in a destructive way.”

Carpenter’s complex and nuanced role as Cordelia over three seasons of Buffy and four of angel made it a fan favorite. The death of his character on angel has been widely criticized by fans of teen dramas.

Following Carpenter’s allegations, his Buffy Co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar posted a statement on Instagram, saying, “While I’m proud to have my name associated with Buffy Summers, I don’t want to be associated with the name Joss Whedon forever.”

Gellar said she would not make any further statements at this time, adding: “I support all abuse survivors and I am proud of them for speaking out.”

In his statement on Wednesday, Carpenter claimed that Whedon made “continuous, passive-aggressive fire threats. [her]. “

When she was 4 months pregnant, she noted, he called her “fat” to her colleagues when she weighed 126 pounds. In a meeting with her, she added, he berated and berated her for a rosary tattoo that she had learned to feel “spiritually grounded”.

She said Whedon intentionally turned down multiple calls from her agents to inform her of her pregnancy. When he found out, he asked her in a closed-door meeting if she “was going to keep him,” Carpenter said.

“He attacked my character, made fun of my religious beliefs, accused me of sabotaging the show, then unceremoniously fired me the following season once I gave birth,” she said. .

Carpenter said she suffered the abuse only because she wanted to support her unborn child as the main breadwinner in her family.

She said these incidents happened during what was supposed to be one of the “most wonderful” times as a new mother.

“All that promise and that joy sucked,” she says. “And Joss was the vampire.”

Carpenter’s allegations come a month after Warner Media completed an investigation into Whedon’s behavior on the set of Justice League.

The investigation was triggered by actor Ray Fisher allegations last July that Whedon “treated the cast and crew on set Justice League was rude, abusive, unprofessional and totally unacceptable. “

Warner Media said “corrective action” was taken as a result of the investigation, but the company did not provide details. Fisher was recently fired as the Cyborg in the upcoming DC movie The Shine.

Carpenter said she participated in the investigation that she considers “Ray is a person of integrity who speaks the truth.” She said her shot Flash was “the last drop”.

“My hope now, to finally come forward about these experiences, is to create a space for the healing of others who I know have experienced similar abuse of power in series,” she said.