Nicholas Brendon is dealing with struggles of his own amid the controversy surrounding his hit series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and creator Joss Whedon. The 49-year-old actor, who famously played one of Buffy Summers’ (Sarah Michelle Gellar) best friends, Xander Harris, for all seven seasons of the show, took to Facebook Live this week to explain why he has not issued a statement regarding his co-star Charisma Carpenter’s claims against Whedon.
In several Facebook Live videos from the hospital, Brendon shared that he is undergoing emergency spinal cord surgery after an injury which has left him in a lot of pain.
“I’ve got s**t to say about stuff… while some people think that I owe them a statement, I don’t really owe them a statement right now,” Brendon said. “This is my life and it’s two people that I love very much.”
He clarified exactly who he was talking about, saying, “And yes, I do love Joss and I love CC more than most. I’m not just going to give you a statement that says, ‘My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and the families.’ I’m not going to do that. I’m going to think about it.”
Brendon, who briefly played the love interest of Carpenter’s character, Cordelia Chase, on Buffy, added, “I support CC. I love CC. And I’m here for CC.”
The actor claimed that commenters online had been “bullying” him to make a statement in the wake of Carpenter’s allegations against Whedon.
He promised to release a statement at a later time, adding, “If you don’t mind, I’m going to get some spinal surgery tomorrow and heal and come up with a statement that represents me and that’s really all I got right now. So I hope that quells the mentality of some — and like I said, most of you have been really wonderful, but there’s a couple of you where it’s just like, I don’t owe you a god d**n thing. So stop treating any celebrity like they owe you anything, statement wise.”
Brendon’s partner Sarah later shared on Twitter that Brendon made it through his surgery and was “doing well.”
In the wake of Carpenter’s allegations of abuse and harassment against Whedon, many of her Buffy and Angel co-stars have spoken out. Star Sarah Michelle Gellar shared that she stands “with all survivors of abuse” adding that she is proud of survivors for “speaking out.”
David Boreanaz, Eliza Dushku, Michelle Trachtenberg, Amber Benson, Clare Kramer, and more have all spoken out supporting Carpenter.
Over the weekend, James Marsters, who played the beloved vampire Spike on both Buffy and Angel, issued a statement on Twitter, writing, “While I will always be honored to have played the character of Spike, the Buffy set was not without challenges. I do not support abuse of any kind, and am heartbroken to learn of the experiences of some of the cast. I send my love and support to all involved.”
