BUFFY The Vampire Slayer’s Eliza Dushku has applauded her former co-star Charisma’s “powerful” claims that creator Joss Whedon was “abusive”.
The actress, 40, added hers to the many voices backing Charisma, 50, after her allegations of abuse and “misconduct” on the supernatural series.
Eliza, who starred as Faith on Buffy and its spinoff show Angel, took to Instagram to publicly share her support on the matter.
Posting to social media, she wrote: “CC, my heart aches for you & I’m so sorry you’ve held this for so long.
“Your post was powerful, painful, and painted a picture we’ll collectively never un-see or un-know.”
Dushku went on to say in the post that she hadn’t known about Whedon’s alleged abuse of power towards Carpenter, who called out his behavior in a detailed statement earlier this week.
The Bring It On! star went on: “I frequently think of the saying, ‘we are as sick as our secrets.’
“Our secrets indeed make and keep us sick. What I’m learning more and more – and have personally found most valuable – is that profound healing can only come from naming and disclosing what actually happened, the necessary first step (once someone’s ready) to freeing ourselves from our secrets, untold truths which have kept us isolated, ashamed, and held hostage.”
While Whedon, 56, has not addressed the allegations publicly, other members of the Buffy cast have also come out in support of Charisma.
Sarah Michelle Gellar, 43, who played the titular character on the show for seven seasons, posted on Wednesday that she does not want to be “associated with the name Joss Whedon.”
Following Charisma, who played Cordelia Chase on the series, Sarah Michelle released a statement to Instagram.
She wrote: “While I am proud to have my name associated with Buffy Summers, I don’t want to be forever associated with the name Joss Whedon.
“I am more focused on raising my family and surviving a pandemic currently so I will not be making any further statements at this time.”
She concluded: “But I stand with all survivors of abuse and am proud of them for speaking out.”
Another Buffy veteran, Michelle Trachtenberg, who starred as Dawn Summers, has also accused director Joss Whedon of being “not appropriate” on set.
The 35-year-old actress spoke out after seeing co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar do so in the wake of fellow cast member Charisma Carpenter’s allegations against the show creator.
Michelle joined Buffy at the start of season 5, when she was just about to turn 15 years old.
After Charisma shared the allegations, Michelle’s onscreen sister, Sarah, who starred as the titular character, released a statement saying she stands “with all survivors of abuse and am proud of them for speaking out.”
The Gossip Girl alum quickly re-shared Sarah’s post, thanking her for saying something.
Michelle added her own perspective on the situation, sharing: “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. So now. People know. What Joss. Did.”
She continued in the comments section: “You. Are my rock!! What he did was very bad. But we win. By surviving!”
The Harriet the Spy actress added in her Instagram Story: “We know what he did. Behind. The. Scenes.”
Charisma, who starred as Cordelia on the cult 90s drama and the spin-off Angel, took to social media on Wednesday to share her story, and call the director a “vampire” who “sucked out joy and promise.”
Buffy star Emma Caulfield – who joined the show after Charisma left for Angel – replied to her post with a series of heart emojis.
“Joss Whedon abused his power on numerous occasions while working together,” Charisma shared.
“While he found his misconduct amusing, it only served to intensify my performance anxiety, disempower me and alienate me from my peers.”
“Joss has a history of being casually cruel,” she continued, alleging the Avengers director has “created toxic and hostile work environments since his early career.”
Charisma went on to allege he would regularly threaten to fire her, call her fat to colleagues while she was pregnant, and “often play favorites, pitting people against one another.”
Charisma, 50, went on to say that she only recently realized she has repressed her “own pain”; in 2019 she admitted to a “frayed” relationship with Joss.
The star also revealed she had been helping Warner Bros in their Justice League investigation, after Ray Fisher, who starred as Cyborg, alleged Joss’s “treatment of the cast and crew of Justice League was gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable.”
