Joss Whedon: Breakdown of Abuse Allegations & Controversies

Joss Whedon’s recent profile in New York Magazine’s Vulture has rehashed the controversies the famed director has been facing the past few years. Whedon was known and well respected for his work writing and directing shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and movies like Marvel’s The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron. It all came crashing after actors and staff he had worked with came forward with stories of abuse and mistreatment they dealt with while working on his sets. This is the first time he speaks out in regards to those allegations. Whedon was once venerated for creating characters that were seemingly feminist on the surface at a time when men dominated the action and sci-fi worlds. For so long, fans viewed him as a feminist ally—but over the years, the people who worked with him and his ex-wife, Kai Cole, told a different story. 

Last year, Justice League star Ray Fisher came forward with accusations against the director saying he created a toxic work environment on set calling Whedon’s treatment of the cast and crew “gross, abusive, unprofessional.” Buffy and Angel actress Charisma Carpenter followed, detailing her experience enduring mental and emotional abuse from Whedon. Since then, other actors, writers, and crew members, including Gal Gadot and Michelle Trachtenberg, have opened up about what it was like working with the director. The director attempted to give his side of the story in the New York mag piece, but it seemingly backfired after he downplayed some of the accusations and negative interactions people claimed to have had with him and offered no apology. Whedon’s history of reportedly body-shaming, making threats, and bullying have cast a shadow on his contributions and has shifted the way some people look at his previous work. Here’s everything you need to know about the allegations against Whedon, and everything that has happened since.