‘The Avengers’ director denies sexual harassment allegations and criticizes actors in profile

the filmmaker Joss Whedon is again at the center of controversy this week, after the publication of a profile by the magazine “New York Magazine” this Monday (17). In the text, the director of “The Avengers” and creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” responds to a string of allegations of bullying and abuse leveled against him since 2020.

This is the first time that Whedon has spoken out about the cases. “They used all the accusatory words of the contemporary age, just to make me look like an abusive monster,” declared the 57-year-old filmmaker. Since then, he has been sidelined from projects he was involved in, such as “The Nevers” and “Batgirl.”

According to the director, the accusations were made with bad intentions. “I don’t know how this smear campaign started, but I can imagine on whose behalf it happened,” he said, revealing that he had completely withdrawn from public life about a year ago.

understand the case

Although rumors of aggression on the sets followed the filmmaker since his success in the 1990s (when he created series such as “Buffy”, “Angel” and “Firefly”), the cases have gained strength since 2020. Several actors in “Justice League” ”, as Ray Fisher (player of the character Cyborg) and Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) released to the press reports of Whedon’s posture in the 2017 production.

“His behavior during filming was disgusting, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable,” Fisher wrote at the time, further denouncing that Whedon had cut some of his participation, as well as that of other black actors – Whedon took on “Justice League”. ” during production, following the departure of Zack Snyder due to family problems, and allegedly changed considerable parts of the script, reshooting sequences.

After that kick-off, other reports surfaced. One of the most impressive was that of Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia in “Buffy”.

In February 2021, the actress issued a statement recounting her experience with the director and screenwriter in the production. “For almost twenty years I kept silent, and even revealed facts that traumatize me to this day. But Joss Whedon abused her power,” she said, mentioning that the producer tried to stop her from getting pregnant during filming, as well as calling her “fat” or “incompetent” on more than one occasion.

Production colleagues, such as protagonists Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz, expressed support for the actress.

Whedon’s answers

The filmmaker refuted all the accusations in statements to “New York Magazine”. He mainly accused Fisher of commanding the attacks on him in retaliation for a strained relationship during filming.

Claiming to have cut scenes of the actor due to problems in his performance, he said: “We are talking about an evil force. We’re talking about a bad actor, in every sense of the term.”

Still on “Justice League”, Whedon resumed Gadot’s accusations of having had his career threatened by contesting the director. “I don’t threaten people. She must not have understood me well. English is not her first language, and I can be irritatingly flowery in my speech,” she replied, referring to the Israeli actress.

Looks like Joss Whedon got to direct an endgame after all…

Rather than address all of the lies and buffoonery today—I will be celebrating the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Tomorrow the work continues.#MLKDay

A>E

— Ray Fisher (@ray8fisher) January 17, 2022

Shapiro’s report, however, still brings new accusations. Costume designers of “Buffy” and writers of “Firefly” confirmed the abusive tendencies of the filmmaker, remembering episodes of humiliation in meetings or even physical aggression.

The profile has resonated, and Fisher tweeted a provocation about it. “For Joss Whedon to direct his Endgame, anyway. I will not comment on the lies and nonsense,” he said, referring to the “Avengers” film made after Whedon left the franchise. Gadot also responded to the magazine, stating, “I understood very well what he told me.”