Costume designer Cynthia Bergstrom has revealed that she was nearly fired from Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Joss Whedon for being too close to series lead Sarah Michelle Gellar. Buffy the Vampire Slayer first began airing in 1997 and has since become a beloved show with a passionate fanbase. The series, created by Whedon, tells the tale of the teenage Buffy (Gellar) who finds out she is the Slayer, a girl chosen by fate to protect humanity from vampires and other demons. Buffy ran for seven seasons before concluding in 2003, winning two Primetime Emmys during its run.
Author Evan Ross Katz has recently released a new book, Into Every Generation a Slayer Is Born: How Buffy Staked Our Hearts, which details the making of the iconic series through interviews with Buffy's cast and crew. While the book does not focus exclusively on the allegations, it does delve into great detail about the purported abuse that creator Whedon subjected many of the female cast and crew to during the making of Buffy. Allegations against Whedon first surfaced during the summer of 2021, and since then many cast and crew members who have worked with Whedon on Buffy and beyond have come forward with additional claims. Katz's book has brought even more incidents involving Whedon to light.
During an interview for Katz's book (as reported by CBR), costume designer Bergstrom has detailed the painful words Whedon had for her when she turned in her resignation. According to her, all Whedon had to say was that he was already thinking of firing her anyway, as he thought she was "too close to Sarah [Michelle Gellar]." Bergstrom described this as a "gut punch." See her full quote below:
"I told Joss that I was leaving, and he said, 'I'm surprised you stayed as long as you did. I was thinking of firing you anyway, because you're too close to Sarah.' That was a gut punch. And I think at times Sarah might've thought I was too close to Joss because I was right in the middle of the two of them. And the two of them had some...thing going on. And my allegiance was always with Sarah. I think Sarah and I had a great relationship up until the end."
Bergstrom has also said that this was not the only run-in she had with Whedon. According to her, the two once had an argument over Gellar's wardrobe that ended with Whedon grabbing Bergstrom's arm so tightly that his nails left marks. Unfortunately, this is simply one of the many many stories about the series' creator over the last year. While Bergstrom's departure from the show was certainly unfortunate, given that Buffy's outfits have contributed so much to what made the series so iconic, it is absolutely understandable why she decided to leave when she did.
In light of the many allegations that have surfaced about Whedon, it has been inspiring to see how many people have come out to support each other. Whedon's alleged actions have made it difficult for many fans to return to Buffy recently, which is somewhat ironic as the series was meant to exemplify female empowerment against oppressive forces. The interviews in Katz's book have certainly tainted the image of the series' creator and yet made the lessons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer even more poignant.
Source: Evan Ross Katz/CBR
