Following allegations that Buffy the Vampire Slayer showrunner Joss Whedon fostered a toxic and misogynistic on-set culture while filming the worshiped supernatural show, Sarah Michelle Gellar immediately stood by her co-stars and their claims. Nearly two years later, the show’s star has expressed her own discomfort with several aspects of Buffy. In a Hollywood Reporter profile, Gellar said that she watched a lot of the seven-season run with her children for the first time during the pandemic, though she purposely passed on some of the later episodes. “We watched seasons one through five,†she said. “We skipped around a lot on those last two.†The last two seasons, which aired on UPN after the show was dropped by rival network The WB, consist of increasingly problematic plotlines. Season six, for example, includes an arc where Gellar’s character is depressed and ends things with her vampire boyfriend, who ultimately attempts to rape her. “I have trouble with six,†Gellar continued. “It wasn’t appropriate for them at the time, and I just don’t want to rewatch it.†Outside of that comment, Gellar says it’s not worth going into detail about the issues with Buffy. “I’ll never tell my full story because I don’t get anything out of it,†the actress claimed. “I’ve said all I’m going to say because nobody wins. Everybody loses.â€
While on set, however, castmates have said Gellar was often the first one to advocate for the cast and crew. Though she landed the titular role at 17, they said she often stood up to alleged abuses. “Sarah was always the first one to say, ‘We agreed this was a 13-hour day and it’s hour 15 — we’ve got to wrap,’ or, ‘Hey, this shot doesn’t seem safe,’ when nobody else would stick up for the cast and crew,†Buffy cast member Seth Green, who played Daniel Osborne, told THR. “It was obvious that Sarah lacked the support to be the leader she needed and wanted to be,†co-star and friend Emma Caulfield, who played Anya Jenkins, observed. “There was a tremendous amount of resentment and animosity [toward her] from a certain someone — and I suppose now we can all guess who.â€
Gellar, for her part, said she “always put in 100 percent†during her early career despite saying she was labeled as “difficult,†but her approach has since changed. “I’ve mellowed a bit in [my expectations of others],†she reflected, per THR. “I think because I got burned out.â€