Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Sarah Michelle Gellar explained why she keeps details of her abusive experiences in the entertainment industry private, including those with Joss Whedon.
In an interview with The New York Times, Gellar addressed the barriers to pursuing an acting career. "It was really hard. There weren’t great female roles when I came up. It was the girlfriend role, the wife role," she said. "That's why Buffy was so spectacular, because she really had something to do, and then we had I Know What You Did [Last Summer], where it was the women figuring things out. That was all a new turn of events."
Gellar also alluded to the challenges she faced behind the scenes. "That was on the script side of it. And then there's the other side of being a young girl in the business. Growing up in New York, I had a little bit of street sense going into it, which is helpful. But no, it was not easy. And I've had my fair share of experiences," she said. "I have just chosen not -- I don't win by telling my stories, emotionally, for me. I look at people that tell their stories, and I'm so impressed. But in this world where people get torn apart, and victim blaming and shaming, I just keep my stories in here."
The Allegations Against Joss Whedon
In July 2020, Gellar's Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-star James Marsters revealed that series creator Joss Whedon had once backed him into a wall because he was upset with the actor's popularity on the show. A series of complaints against Whedon followed, including those by Ray Fisher, who exited the role of Cyborg after his negative experiences with Whedon on the set of Justice League. Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot later corroborated Fisher's claims of a toxic work environment on the 2017 film.
In February 2021, Buffy alum Charisma Carpenter tweeted support for Fisher while sharing her experiences of abuse with Whedon. Carpenter, who was also a lead on Whedon's Buffy spinoff Angel, said Whedon threatened to fire her several times, called her "fat" and asked if she was planning to "keep it," referring to her pregnancy. Many of Carpenter's co-stars, such as David Boreanaz, have since voiced their support for her.
Buffy's Eliza Dushku, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Amber Benson have also come forward to substantiate Carpenter's claims by offering their stories. In doing so, Trachtenberg revealed there was an onset rule that Whedon was "not allowed in a room alone with Michelle again." Though she remains quiet about the details of her abuse, Gellar continues to support her castmates while publicly distancing herself from Whedon.
Source: The New York Times