Joss Whedon widely criticised for new interview that’s ‘obliterated career’
Joss Whedon‘s defence of the allegations made against him by Gal Gadot, Ray Fisher and Charisma Carpenter is raising eyebrows.
On Monday (17 January), the writer-director finally addressed accusations of toxic misconduct on the set of Justice League and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which have shattered his reputation.
Fisher, who played Cyborg in Justice League, was the first to speak out against the director in 2020.
Wonder Woman actor Gadot then spoke about her “issues” with Whedon in 2021, telling Israeli channel N12: ”He kind of threatened my career and said if I did something, he will make sure my career is miserable.”
In response to this, Whedon brushed off the criticism while speaking to New York Magazine, stating that Gadot “misunderstood” him as “English is not her first language”.
Elsewhere in the interview, the Avengers: Age of Ultron director denied claims made against him by Fisher, describing him as a “malevolent force” and “a bad actor in two senses”
The interview has been widely criticised with many saying it’s not the victory Whedon likely views it to be.
Gadot herself responded to Whedon’s comments in the interview, telling the outlet that she understood him “perfectly well”.
Many accused Whedon’s response of being “xenophobic”, with one Twitter user writing: “I don’t understand why he thinks saying any of this was a good idea.”
Another added: “Can we talk about the xenophobia in @joss’s quote here. English isn’t her first language so she’s a lier who misunderstood me.”
One other person wrote: There’s skating on thin ice and then there’s setting the ice on fire beneath your feet. Whedon is actually gaslighting himself and thinks we are going to fall for it.”
“He’s dug himself an even bigger hole,” another said of the interview
Variety’s senior Entertainment Writer, Adam B Vary, wrote: called the piece a “thoroughly reported and well-written story about Joss Whedon, his rise as a geek god and how his many demons have now effectively obliterated his career”.
