Ray Fisher Mocks Joss Whedon’s Misconduct Denials: He ‘Had Nearly Two Years to Get His Story Straight’
“Justice League” actor Ray Fisher has responded to Joss Whedon’s first major public response to Fisher’s repeated accusations of misconduct on the set of reshoots for the Warner Bros. film, and he’s pretty surprised at the director’s defense of himself given how long he had to craft it.
In a lengthy profile of Whedon published in New York Magazine on Monday, the “Avengers” filmmaker spoke out on the many abuse accusations surrounding him, defending his actions. Whedon particularly took aim at on Fisher’s accusations, saying none of them were “either true or merited discussing.” The director went on to call Fisher “a malevolent force” and “a bad actor in both senses.”
In response, Fisher poked fun at Whedon’s term, tweeting jokingly “I’m starting a team called ‘The Malevolent Force.’ Who wants in? *Joss Whedon’s need not apply*.”
In his interview, Whedon also brushed off actress Gal Gadot’s claims of threatening her and her career, saying she had simply just misunderstood him. “English is not her first language, and I tend to be annoyingly flowery in my speech,” he said.
Gadot’s co-star took particular issue with that defense.
“Joss Whedon had nearly two years to get his story straight,” Fisher wrote. “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’ ???”
Fisher also called out Whedon’s claim that “I don’t threaten people,” using an anecdote Whedon himself had told elsewhere in the interview, wherein the director explained that, as a kid, he would spend a lot of time “plotting elaborate revenges on my brothers.”
“Joss Whedon: ‘I don’t threaten people. Who does that?'” Fisher reiterated, before citing the story. “The World: I don’t know — maybe the guy that used to spend his free time ‘plotting elaborate revenges’ on his own family?”
In the end, Fisher brought his tweets back to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” actress Charisma Carpenter, who has also leveled accusations of “hostile” and “toxic” behavior against Whedon and was similarly brushed off in Whedon’s latest interview.
“#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,” Fisher wrote.
You can read Fisher’s full thread of tweets below.