Joss Whedon is being called out.
Eleven individuals under anonymity who worked directly on the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel, or were closely familiar with the productions at The WB and UPN, spoke out in a story for Variety on Friday (February 26).
The writer-producer was accused of “a pattern of inappropriate, imperious and disparaging behavior toward those who worked for him” in the report. The allegations come after Charisma Carpenter came forward with allegations of misconduct in February.
A source who allegedly worked with Charisma on set corroborated her story with Variety, saying that she would often discuss the mistreatment at the time, describing it as “very, very bad,” “mean-spirited” and “verbal abuse.”
He is accused of creating a “cult of personality,” with those on the inside earning praise, and those on the outside receiving “scorn, derision and callousness.”
“Another major factor contributing to the messy nature of the Buffy set: Stories of Whedon engaging in affairs with women working on the show quickly spread, according to three independent sources. As the executive producer and showrunner, Whedon was the boss, including of the women with whom he engaged in relationships. The alleged behavior contributed to a toxic workplace and heightened competition on set, blurring the lines between personal and professional demeanor for the cast — dynamics that continued long after Whedon’s purported affairs ended,” the outlet reported.
Those allegations coincide with those made by his ex-wife, Kai Cole, who in August of 2017 wrote in The Wrap that he had engaged in multiple affairs with actors and co-workers.
In addition, a person with direct knowledge of the production at the time confirmed to Variety that an effort was made by those around Michelle Trachtenberg to ensure she was never alone with the director, reportedly “due to an improper verbal exchange between Whedon and Trachtenberg.”
The set was allegedly “often aggressively adult, with inappropriate and cutting jokes flying behind the scenes. One source with detailed knowledge of the production recalls Trachtenberg’s mother expressing frustration because the set atmosphere was inappropriate for a young teenager.”
Joss Whedon declined to comment on the story.
For more details about the allegations, head to Variety.com.
It was recently revealed a music superstar was a secret producer of the show.
