Joss Whedon accuser Charisma Carpenter’s surprise public apology to Buffy co-star

The Buffy actress who led a wave of allegations against creator Joss Whedon last week has now issued an unexpected apology.

The actor who first spoke out against Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon last week, sparking a slew of allegations from her former co-stars, has issued a public apology to another of the women who appeared on the hit show.

Charisma Carpenter shocked fans last week when she issued a detailed public statement alleging that Whedon fostered a “toxic environment” during the show’s seven seasons on air.

She claimed he had “abused his power” across numerous “disturbing incidents”.

Within hours, former co-stars spoke out in support of Carpenter, including Sarah Michelle Gellar and Michelle Trachtenberg, who alleged that an on-set rule was implemented barring Whedon from being in the same room with her alone.

Another former Buffy star who spoke up: Eliza Dushku, who played Faith in 20 episodes of Buffy and in another six eps of spin-off show Angel.

Charisma Carpenter starred in Buffy and spin-off Angel.

Dushku also starred in both shows.

“CC, my heart aches for you and I’m so sorry you have held this for so long,” Dushku wrote as part of a longer post addressed to her former co-star. “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.”

Dushku herself has spoken out several times about alleged misconduct she’s experienced through her Hollywood career.

In 2018, she said she was fired from the TV series Bull after she accused her co-star Michael Weatherly of sexual harassment. She was written off the series before she was granted a secret $13 million settlement from CBS.

That same year, Dushku made disturbing allegations that a stunt co-ordinator had molested her while filming ’90s action hit True Lies when she was just 12. He denied the allegations, as several more women came forward.

Dushku’s public show of support for her former co-star prompted an apology from Carpenter.

“I owe you an apology. I never lent my voice to you privately nor publicly when you shared your truth after suffering sexual misconduct in the workplace,” Carpenter wrote underneath the post, as per NME.

Most key cast members from Buffy and Angel have now spoken out. None have defended Whedon.

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“As I wrote to you privately, this makes your statement of support sweeter. And as I said to J, your loving embrace empowers others to feel safe to share their stories.”

“J” is J. August Richards, another former Angel star who has supported Carpenter both publicly and privately since she spoke out last week.

She added: “Thank you for being who you are. Thank you for your inspiring words of support. I will never forget how you have made me feel.”

Carpenter’s new public statement comes as several of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s male cast members have spoken up about their female former cast members’ experiences on the hit show, which ran for seven seasons from 1997.

In an interview on British morning television late last week, Buffy actor Anthony Stewart Head said he was “gutted’ to learn of the allegations against Whedon and insisted he had no idea during his years on the program.

Charisma Carpenter has accused Joss Whedon of numerous ‘disturbing incidents’. Picture: Mike Windle/Getty

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“I have been up most of the night just running through my memories thinking, ‘What did I miss?’” he told the hosts.

“I was a sort of father figure. I would hope that someone would come to me and say, ‘I’m struggling, I just had a horrible conversation,’” he continued.

“There are other posts which subsequently are making me think, ‘How on Earth did I not know this was going on?’”

Joss Whedon himself has yet to publicly respond to the allegations.