Actress Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia Chase on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, has accused the creator of those shows, Joss Whedon, of abusive behavior.
“While he found his misconduct amusing, it only served to intensity my performance anxiety, disempower me, and alienate me from my peer. The disturbing incidents triggered a chronic physical condition from which I still suffer,” she wrote in text posted as a two-part tweet.
Carpenter’s full statement can be read below:
Carpenter details several specific instances of alleged abuse, including a closed-door meeting after she became pregnant where, she says, Whedon “asked me if I was ‘going to keep it’ and manipulatively weaponized my womanhood and faith against me. He processed to attack my character, mock my religious beliefs, accuse me of sabotaging the show, and then unceremoniously fired me the following season once I gave birth.” Carpenter claims he then forced her to work at 1:00 a.m. while six months pregnant which, she believes, was retaliation for becoming pregnant in the first place.
Representatives for Whedon did not immediately respond to a request to respond to Carpenter’s accusations. We will update if we hear back.
Carpenter also said she took part in WarnerMedia’s investigation into Whedon’s behavior on the set of Justice League, which began with accusations of abuse from actor Ray Fisher. Carpenter says she stands with Fisher and credits him for giving her the courage to finally open up about these horrors she says she’s dealt with, alone, for decades.
“It has taken me so long to muster the courage to make this statement publicially,” she concludes. “The gravity of it is not lost on me. 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.”
Update 2/10/2021, 3 p.m. ET: In the hours since Carpenter’s statement, a few of her costars have weighed in. The first to do so was Amber Benson, who played Tara on Buffy:
Next was, Buffy herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar:
Update #2 2/10/2021, 4:40 p.m. ET: Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Dawn Summers on Buffy, reposted Gellar’s statement on Instagram with the following caption: “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.”
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