‘I will always be proud of Buffy’: Sarah Michelle Gellar hopes show’s ‘legacy’ isn’t impacted by Joss Whedon

‘Was it an ideal working situation? Absolutely not,’ actor said of her time on the hit TV show

Sarah Michelle Gellar has reflected on her Buffy the Vampire Slayer success, saying that she will “always be proud” of the series, despite the Joss Whedon controversy.

Gellar led the seven-season cult classic, created by Whedon, as the titular Buffy, whose life’s mission was to destroy vampires and other forces of darkness.

In 2021, nearly 18 years after the hit drama ended, Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia Chase in the show, came forward with allegations of “abuse of power” against Whedon. Her comments only added to a rolling tide of allegations from Whedon’s past collaborators.

The creator and director has since denied all claims.

At the time, Gellar issued a statement, supporting her castmate, writing: “While I am proud to have my name associated with Buffy Summers, I don’t want to be forever associated with the name Joss Whedon.”

Now, in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gellar once again addressed the controversy, saying: “I’ve come to a good place with it, where it’s easier to talk about.”

She added that she will “never tell my full story because I don’t get anything out of it. I’ve said all I’m going to say because nobody wins. Everybody loses.”

Since the downfall of Whedon’s career, many have questioned Buffy’s legacy.

Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) cuts her hair off in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s sixth season (UPN)

Gellar acknowledged that while it was “absolutely not” an “ideal working situation”, she believes that it’s “OK to love Buffy for what we created because I think it’s pretty spectacular”.

“I hope that it gives the success back to the people that put in all of the work,” she continued. “I will always be proud of Buffy. I will always be proud of what my castmates did, what I did.

“I hope the legacy hasn’t changed.”

Justice League actor Ray Fisher was the first to come forward with claims against Whedon in 2020, citing “gross, abusive, unprofessional and completely unacceptable” behaviour on the set of the 2017 film.

Fisher’s allegations led to a WarnerMedia investigation into Whedon’s misconduct, with officials interviewing many actors who had worked with the director in the past, including Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot.

Whedon defended himself against the claims in a January 2022 interview, after which several critics argued that he “obliterated his career”.