Sarah Michelle Gellar Spoke Out About Accusations Against 'Buffy' Creator Joss Whedon

Buffy the Vampire star Sarah Michelle Gellar is standing with her co-star Charisma Carpenter after she came forward with accusations against the show's creator, Joss Whedon. Entertainment Weekly reports that Carpenter, who played Cordelia Chase on Buffy and its spin-off, Angel, posted a statement saying that Whedon was "abusing his power" on set and triggered a "chronic physical condition" that she is still managing two decades later.

Carpenter described Whedon making passive-aggressive threats to have her fired, calling her fat when she was four months pregnant, and pitting cast members against one another.

"These memories and more have weighed on my soul like bricks for nearly half of my life," she wrote. "I wish I had said something sooner ... I muted myself in shame and conditioned silence."

Gellar posted a message on Instagram saying that she was proud to have worked on the show and to be associated with her character but added that she wouldn't want to be "forever associated" with 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," she wrote. "I stand with all survivors of abuse and am proud of them for speaking out."

Justice League star Ray Fisher also accused Whedon of misconduct. Carpenter addressed his statement, writing, "Last summer, when Ray Fisher publicly accused Joss of abusive and unprofessional behavior toward the cast and crew during reshoots on the Justice League set in 2017, it gutted me. Joss has a history of being casually cruel. He has created hostile and toxic work environments since his early career. I know because I experienced it first-hand. Repeatedly."

In December, after Fisher's claims, WarnerMedia stated that it concluded its investigation. Carpenter noted that she was part of the investigation. Fisher thanked her on Twitter, writing, "Charisma Carpenter is one of the bravest people I know. I am forever grateful for her courage and for her lending her voice to the Justice League investigation. Read her truth. Share her truth. Protect her at all costs."

Buffy co-star Amber Benson also tweeted in support of Carpenter.

"Buffy was a toxic environment and it starts at the top," she wrote. "There was a lot of damage done during that time and many of us are still processing it twenty plus years later."