Joss Whedon Fan Site Shuts Down After 15 Years Following Ex-Wife’s Critical Essay

Joss Whedon fan site Whedonesque is closing its doors today after 15 years of activity.

While the site has been less active in recent years than it had been previously, the official closure seems to be in direct response to a letter written by Whedon’s ex-wife, Kai Cole published by The Wrap, in which she accuses the Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator and Avengers director of being a “hypocrite preaching feminist ideals.”

Cole’s letter went on to say that Whedon had a series of secret affairs during the couple’s 16 years of marriage, with the first dating back to his time on the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Cole says the emotional abuse she suffered during the relationship led to her being diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress syndrome. In the farewell letter left on Whedonesque, readers are encouraged to donate to a charity or organization that deals with the treatment of C-PTSD:

So farewell then. 15 years is a long time and a lot of water has flowed under the bridge. But now it’s time to say goodbye. No more threads after this one, we’re closing down. The site will at some stage become a read only site. So if you want to leave your contact details in this thread for other posters to get in touch that would be great otherwise email us at whedonesque@gmail.com.

The admins would like to thank the posters at this site. You made this site and we wouldn’t have lasted as long as we could without you. So thank you. And if you want to mark our passing, please find a charity or organisation that deals with the treatment of Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) and leave a donation.

Whedonesque was launched in 2002 by Milo Vermeulen and Caroline van Ooser de Boer. The site gained notoriety when Whedon himself began making occasional posts in 2004. The site was used by Whedon to offer updates on upcoming projects, as well as to announce screenings of Serenity and that he had left the Wonder Woman movie project.

When notified of Cole’s letter, a spokesperson for Whedon stated, “While this account includes inaccuracies and misrepresentations which can be harmful to their family, Joss is not commenting, out of concern for his children and out of respect for his ex-wife.”

Whedon is currently working on reshoots of Justice League and is also attached to helm DC Films’ Batgirl movie.