Buffy and Angel Alumni Voice Support For Charisma Carpenter

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel star David Boreanaz and other Buffyverse alumni are showing [...]

By Jamie Lovett

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel star David Boreanaz and other Buffyverse alumni are showing support for co-star Charisma Carpenter amid her allegations of inappropriate and emotionally abusive behavior by creator Joss Whedon. Boreanaz took to Twitter to add his voice to the growing chorus. Boreanaz tweeted at Carpenter, "I am here for you to listen and support you. Proud of your strength." Carpenter's reply implies that she and Boreanaz have been in contact privately: "I know you're there for me, David. I appreciate all you've done to demonstrate that support privately as well. Especially since Wednesday. -Thank you so much."

Amy Acker, who played Winifred Burkle on Angel and worked with Whedon again on Dollhouse and his film adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing, also spoke out. Acker says her experience with Whedon was more professional, but she showed support for Carpenter's claims.

"I will always be proud of the work we all did on Angel," Acker's statement reads. "While I personally had a good and professional experience, it is heartbreaking to hear that not everyone did. I do not condone any actions that made anyone feel hurt or uncomfortable, and I offer love and support to everyone who is speaking out to tell their truths."

In a statement released on Wednesday via social media, Carpenter accused Whedon of poor behavior on the sets of both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, alleging that he abused his power and created a toxic environment behind the scenes. Carpenter characterized Whedon's behavior as "casually cruel," and alleged retaliatory behavior by Whedon after she became pregnant. Her memories came to the fore after participating in the investigation around Ray Fisher's allegations against Whedon stemming from the director's behavior on the Justice League set.

Acker's statement is similar to the one made by Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar, who expressed pride for being attached to the Slayer while distancing herself from Whedon. "While I am proud to have my name associated with Buffy Summer, I don't want to be forever associated with the name Joss Whedon... I stand with all survivors of abuse and am proud of them for speaking out."

Gellar's comment inspired Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy's sister Dawn, to speak out as well. Without going into details, Trachtenberg stated that Whedon's behavior towards her on-set resulted in the creation of a rule banning the two of them from being in a room together alone. Trachtenberg was a minor at the time.

Amber Benson, who joined Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Tara after Carpenter moved on to Angel, was among the first to back Carpenter. "Buffy was a toxic environment and it starts at the top," Benson tweeted. "@AllCharisma is speaking truth and I support her 100%. There was a lot of damage done during that time and many of us are still processing it twenty plus years later."

Whedon has yet to publicly respond to Carpenter's allegations.

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