'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Star Charisma Carpenter Speaks Out About Joss Whedon

In her Twitter statement Wednesday, Carpenter enumerates what she described as “hostile” and “casually cruel” encounters with Whedon: “Like his ongoing, passive-aggressive threats to fire me, which wreaks havoc on a young actor’s self-esteem. 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 goes on to describe a closed-door meeting with Whedon in which he allegedly asked her if she was going to “keep” her baby. “He proceeded 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,” she writes. 

Carpenter credits therapy as well as the Time’s Up movement for helping her understand the “complexities” of her experience working with Whedon. She goes on to say that she participated in WarnerMedia’s investigation into Whedon’s behavior on the set of Justice League and that she stands by Fisher’s account. Her long silence, she says, was born out of fear of professional reprisal: “It has taken me so long to muster the courage to make this statement publicly. 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.” 

After Carpenter released her statement, her Buffy costar Amber Benson tweeted in support of Carpenter, and also alleged that the series had been made amid a toxic work environment.

Series star Sarah Michelle Gellar weighed in with her support. 

Michelle Trachtenberg, who was 15 years-old when she first appeared as Buffy's kid sister Dawn, re-posted Gellar's post 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.”

Here are Carpenter’s words, in full. Whedon has not yet responded to a request for comment.

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