Buffy star Michelle Trachtenberg claims Joss Whedon was not allowed to be alone with her on set
Michelle Trachtenberg. ( Kopaloff/FilmMagic)
Michelle Trachtenberg has claimed that Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon was not allowed be in a room alone with her on set.
Trachtenberg, who was just 14 when she joined Buffy as Dawn, is one of several female actors to have made allegations of toxicity against Whedon in recent days.
After Charisma Carpenter claimed Whedon “abused his power”, sparking other cast members to speak out against him, Trachtenberg, now 34, alleged there was an on-set rule that Whedon was not allowed to be in a room alone with her.
Sharing an earlier statement by lead star Sarah Michelle Gellar, she wrote: “Thank you, Sarah Michelle Gellar, for saying this.
“I am brave enough now as a 35-year-old woman…. To repost this. Because. This must. Be known. As a teenager. With his not appropriate behaviour….very. Not. Appropriate.
“So now people know what Joss did. The last comment I will make on this. There was a rule saying he’s not allowed in a room alone with Michelle again.”
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Buffy stars accuse Joss Whedon of ‘toxic’ abuse
It comes after Trachtenberg, who played Buffy’s pugnacious younger sister Dawn Summers for three years after scoring the part in 2000, said in an Instagram Story: “We know what he did. Behind. The. Scenes.”
In both instances, she shared a statement from Gellar, who played perky vampire slayer Buffy Summers.
Gellar has sought to distance herself from Joss Whedon in response to allegations by Charisma Carpenter of his “repeated” bullying.
Across both Buffy and its spin-off Angel, Carpenter claimed Whedon “abused his power”, making “passive-aggressive threats to fire her” while pregnant and being “casually cruel” on a litany of occasions.
As the allegations shuddered online, Buffy cast members have responded with support towards Carpenter.
The latest, Eliza Dushku, said her “heart aches”.
Dushku, who played Faith, wrote in an Instagram post: “CC, my heart aches for you and I’m so sorry you have held this for so long.
“Your post was powerful, painful, and painted a picture we’ll collectively never un-see or un-know. Thank you. I hadn’t known it and I won’t forget it.”
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The 40-year-old stressed the role of “healing”, where staying silent, she said, can keep people “isolated, ashamed and held hostage”.
“May you and countless others feel the solidarity and connection you have likely missed for too long.”
While a sombre Anthony Head, who played Giles, said earlier this week he was “gutted” at the news and felt he “let down” the cast by not being aware of the situation around him.
Joss Whedon has not responded to any of the Buffy cast’s claims against him.
