Joss Whedon: From Hero To Zero

Joss Whedon is an American screenwriter, director, producer, comic book writer, and composer. He is best known for creating the supernatural drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel, as well as Marvel's The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Whedon has also worked on other popular series such as Firefly, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Dollhouse.

However, Whedon's reputation has been tarnished by a series of accusations of misconduct. In 2017, his ex-wife, Kai Cole, published an open letter in which she accused him of cheating on her throughout their marriage, including with actresses on the set of Buffy. Actors Ray Fisher and Gal Gadot, who starred in Whedon's superhero film Justice League, also claimed that he mistreated them, with Fisher describing his behaviour as gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable.

Other cast and crew members from Whedon's projects have since come forward with similar allegations, including Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia on Buffy and its spinoff series, Angel. Carpenter claimed that Whedon had a history of being casually cruel and had mocked her religious beliefs, accused her of sabotaging the show, and fired her after she became pregnant.

In response to the allegations, Whedon has denied any wrongdoing but acknowledged that he can be confrontational. He has also tried to frame his professional career as that of a passionate hero, but many believe that he has only confirmed the allegations against him. Since the allegations surfaced, Whedon has had few projects in development, and it remains to be seen whether he will be able to salvage his career.

Joss Whedon's ex-wife, Kai Cole, accused him of cheating on her throughout their marriage, including with actresses on the set of Buffy

Whedon responded to the accusations in an interview with New York Magazine, stating that he felt "fucking terrible" about his affairs. He acknowledged that they "messed up the power dynamic" and that he had felt "powerless" to resist sleeping with the actresses. However, Whedon denied that he had ever made out with an actress on the floor of someone's office, as had been claimed by a "high-level member" of the Buffy production team.

In addition to the accusations of infidelity, Whedon has also faced multiple allegations of misconduct, including verbal and physical abuse, on the sets of his TV shows. In 2020, actor Ray Fisher accused Whedon of creating a "toxic workplace environment" on the set of the film Justice League, and in 2021, Buffy actress Charisma Carpenter alleged that Whedon had "abused his power on numerous occasions", calling him "casually cruel". These allegations, along with the infidelity accusations, have led to a significant backlash against Whedon, with many fans and colleagues speaking out against him.

Whedon was accused of mistreating actors Ray Fisher and Gal Gadot, who starred in a superhero film he directed

Joss Whedon, the writer-director of the superhero film Justice League, was accused of mistreating its stars Ray Fisher and Gal Gadot. Fisher, who played Cyborg, accused Whedon of "gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable" behaviour. Whedon responded by criticising Fisher's performance, calling him a "bad actor in both senses". Fisher's role was significantly reduced in Whedon's version of the film, which Fisher attributed to racism. Whedon denied this, saying that Fisher's storyline "made no sense" and that he had spent hours discussing the changes with the actor.

Gadot, who played Wonder Woman, also claimed that Whedon "threatened her career" on the set of Justice League. Whedon denied this, saying, "I don't threaten people. Who does that?" He suggested that Gadot, whose first language is not English, may have misunderstood him. Gadot, however, maintained that she "understood perfectly".

Whedon was accused of abusive behaviour towards Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia on Buffy and its spinoff series, Angel

In February 2021, Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia Chase on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series, Angel, accused Joss Whedon of abusive behaviour. In a statement posted to Twitter, Carpenter said Whedon had "abused his power on numerous occasions" while working together on the sets of Buffy and Angel. She described Whedon as "casually cruel" and said that he had "a history of being hostile and toxic".

Carpenter's statement came in the wake of mounting testimonials against Whedon, including from Justice League stars Ray Fisher and Gal Gadot. Carpenter's allegations against Whedon included:

• Reprimanding her for getting a tattoo and calling her "fat" when she was pregnant.
• Asking her if she was "going to keep it" upon learning of her pregnancy.
• Mocking her religious beliefs.
• Accusing her of sabotaging the show.
• Firing her the following season, once she had given birth.

Carpenter also revealed that she had participated in WarnerMedia's Justice League investigation into Whedon's behaviour.

Carpenter's allegations were corroborated by her Buffy co-stars Amber Benson and Michelle Trachtenberg. Benson wrote on social media: "Buffy was a toxic environment and it starts at the top. [Carpenter] is speaking truth." Trachtenberg wrote that "we know what he did" and alleged that Whedon's behaviour toward her when she was a teenager was "very not appropriate". Trachtenberg later stated on social media that there was a rule on set preventing Whedon from being in a room alone with her.

Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar also lent her support and distanced herself from Whedon. Other Buffy and Angel costars who voiced their support for the alleged victims included David Boreanaz, James Marsters, Anthony Stewart Head, Eliza Dushku, J. August Richards, and Amy Acker.

Whedon was accused of abusive behaviour towards Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy's younger sister on the show

Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy's younger sister, Dawn Summers, from 2000-2003, claimed there was a rule that Joss Whedon was not allowed to be alone with her on set. Trachtenberg has since updated that statement to add that, "There was a rule, saying [Whedon] is not allowed in a room alone with Michelle again."

Trachtenberg was a teenager at the time, and an adult in her circle created the rule in response to an "improper verbal exchange" between her and Whedon. Whedon called her into his office for a closed-door meeting, after which she was "shaken". Whedon has denied any knowledge of the rule, and Trachtenberg has not elaborated further.

Whedon was accused of abusive behaviour towards stunt double Sophia Crawford, who worked as Sarah Michelle Gellar's stunt double for the first four seasons of Buffy

Stuntwoman Sophia Crawford, who worked as Sarah Michelle Gellar's stunt double on the first four seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and her husband, Jeff Pruitt, who was the show's stunt coordinator, have accused Joss Whedon of abusive behaviour. Crawford and Pruitt, who met and began dating while working on the show, claim that Whedon gave Crawford an ultimatum to choose between her job and her relationship with Pruitt. When they decided to leave, Whedon allegedly told them that "no one will ever hire [them] again".

Pruitt described his initially positive working relationship with Whedon, which he said deteriorated as the show became more successful and Whedon exerted more creative control. He claimed that Whedon became an "egomaniac" and that he was "fed up" by the fourth season. Pruitt also alleged that Whedon had a habit of "writing really nasty notes".

Crawford and Pruitt are not the only people to have accused Whedon of abusive behaviour. In 2021, Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia Chase in Buffy and its spinoff Angel, accused Whedon of creating a "hostile and toxic working environment". Carpenter also alleged that Whedon wrote her character out of Angel after she became pregnant, and that he called her "fat" and asked her "if [she] was going to keep it".

In 2020, Cyborg actor Ray Fisher accused Whedon of "gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable" behaviour during the reshoots for Justice League, which Whedon directed. Fisher's claims were supported by Jason Momoa, who said that Whedon's treatment of the cast and crew was "sh*tty".

In response to the allegations, Whedon has denied any wrongdoing, while acknowledging that he can be "confrontational".

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