Charisma Carpenter is hitting back at her former boss after his overtly non-apologetic interview this week.
In case you missed it, Joss Whedon finally spoke out about the accusations he was a bully on set — and probably just made things worse. In an interview with New York magazine, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator denied, deflected, and disrespected the actors who have spoken out against him.
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He said Gal Gadot misunderstood him as threatening her career on the set of Justice League because “English is not her first language.” He said one of the reasons he reduced Ray Fisher‘s role in the superhero film is because he was “a bad actor.” And as for Charisma? Well, he was a little subtler there, saying most of his time with her was “delightful and charming” but then immediately shaded her:
“She struggled sometimes with her lines, but nobody could hit a punchline harder than her.”
If you’re trying to prove you’re not a jerk, why throw in that “she struggled” with remembering lines??
Well, Charisma isn’t standing for it. The one and only Cordelia Chase took to Twitter and Instagram on Tuesday to blast the implication that she was somehow tricked into what she’d said about Whedon by Fisher, who himself was influenced, the article suggested Whedon or his defenders believed, by Zack Snyder:
“IStandWithRayFisher, the ‘malevolent force’ and ‘bad actor in both senses’ who poisoned my feeble mind with trendy buzzwords and corrupt ideas about my experiences with a former tyrannical narcissistic boss who is still unable to be accountable and just apologize.”
Damn. How’s that for hitting a punchline? But that wasn’t all. She added:
“I believe Gal Gadot not only understands career threats in English, but also in Hebrew and Arabic. Possibly French, Spanish and Italian too.”
Finally, she jabbed at the fact the profile mentions Whedon is in treatment for addiction yet can’t nail the whole making amends thing:
“To anyone struggling with alcoholism (or addiction of any kind) today: It is never too late to get help. If you are willing to seek treatment, practice rigorous honesty, and are of service to others; there is a very good chance you will be free to live your life on life’s terms – with compassion, humility, and love in your heart.”
OK, she’s definitely implying Whedon isn’t doing all that, right? Why include it in the same statement? Savage. She added:
“Oh, I neglected to add the most integral ingredient to spiritual wellness…Finding a higher power. A power greater than yourself.”
Reading between the lines? Joss can’t get his inflated head around that notion! Wow!
The response got likes from Buffyverse leaders Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz. And Ray Fisher RTed it as well, writing his own complementary statement, saying:
“Joss Whedon had nearly two years to get his story straight. He’s likely spent tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of dollars on PR, crisis management, and coaching. And his response to the allegations is: ‘They all misunderstood and/or are out to get me — also my mom is sexy’ ???
He added:
“#IStandWithCharismaCarpenter who (like this ‘bad actor in both senses’) has no agency in determining matters of abuse or race, but for the influence of a White male shadow puppeteer.”
He added that New York magazine and the writer of the Whedon article “should be ashamed for regurgitating this nonsense.”
#IStandWithCharismaCarpenter who (like this “bad actor in both senses”) has no agency in determining matters of abuse or race, but for the influence of a White male shadow puppeteer.@NYMag and @lilapearl should be ashamed for regurgitating this nonsense.
A>E https://t.co/GQnL9zFyty pic.twitter.com/KZRku36wNQ
— Ray Fisher (@ray8fisher) January 18, 2022
He finished with a similar sentiment to Charisma — that there is a path forward for those who have done wrong. But people have to actually walk it:
“Last thing: Please don’t put me on a pedestal. I’ve made more mistakes and apologies in life than I can count. Taking accountability for our actions, and how they may have affected others, can be some of the hardest work to do. But we must try, in earnest, to do it.”
Fair enough.
What do YOU think of that Whedon interview??
[Image via FayesVision/WENN.]