Gal Gadot reveals TV director Joss Whedon threatened her career

"He said that if I did something, he would make sure my career was miserable and I just took care of it immediately."

MAY 10, 2021 04:46

Updated: MAY 10, 2021 04:47

GAL GADOT: I want to use my reach and my platforms to get to as many people and shed light on these amazing, incredible women’s stories. (photo credit: JASON BELL) — GAL GADOT: I want to use my reach and my platforms to get to as many people and shed light on these amazing, incredible women’s stories.

(photo credit: JASON BELL)

Israeli actress Gal Gadot confirmed that Joss Whedon threatened her career during the filming of the 2017 DC movie Justice League, In an interview with N12 News on Saturday,

Whedon was hired as a scriptwriter for Justice League, and took up the completion of the film after Zack Snyder, the original director, resigned due to a family tragedy. Ten years prior, Whedon was slated to direct aWonder Woman film before the release of Justice League, but executives at Warner Brothers rejected his script.

When Whedon took over the production of Justice League, he began reshoots and alterations to the characters. Gadot told N12 that when she suggested changes to Wonder Woman's character, Whedon threatened her career.

"[He] said that if I did something, he would make sure my career was miserable and I just took care of it immediately," Gadot said in the interview.

Whedon was previously accused of abusing his cast in 2020, when one the actors, Ray Fisher, wrote on Twitter, "Joss Whedon’s on-set treatment of the cast and crew of Justice League was gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable."

Joss Wheadon’s on-set treatment of the cast and crew of Justice League was gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable. He was enabled, in many ways, by Geoff Johns and Jon Berg. Accountability>Entertainment
— Ray Fisher (@ray8fisher) July 1, 2020

Fisher's accusation warranted a WarnerMedia investigation into the matter, which according to the actor, "lead to remedial action."

The following was relayed to me on behalf of @WarnerMedia at 5pm EST today:- The investigation of Justice League is now complete.- It has lead to remedial action. (Some we’ve seen, and some that is still to come.)1/3
— Ray Fisher (@ray8fisher) December 12, 2020

In response to the investigation, Gadot told The Los Angeles Times that while she wasn't present during Whedon's reshoots, she had her "own experience with [him], which wasn't the best one, but I took care of it there and when it happened. I took it to the higher-ups."

In Saturday's interview Gadot elaborated on the "experience" she had, when she revealed the content of Whedon's threat.

Cast members from Whedon's hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer also spoke out in support of Fisher's accusations, revealing their own abusive experiences on the Buffy set.

In actress Charisma Carpenter's February 2021 tweet "My truth #IStandWithRayFisher," she wrote that "Joss Whedon abused his power on numerous occasions while working together on the sets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel."

Carpenter relayed that when she was pregnant, Whedon asked if she would keep the baby and "weaponized [her] womanhood and faith against [her]." Whedon also publicly called her fat when she was four months pregnant and 126 lbs., Carpenter wrote.