Charisma Carpenter

Steady TV and film work, The Expendables, a true-crime hosting gig, and a 2021 statement about Joss Whedon's conduct on set.

After the show

Carpenter left Angel after its fourth season in 2003 and kept working steadily in television. In 2004 she guest-starred on Charmed as the demon Kyra, and from 2005 to 2006 she had a recurring role as Kendall Casablancas on Veronica Mars. Guest spots followed on Greek, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Legend of the Seeker, Burn Notice and Supernatural.

On the big screen she played Lacy in The Expendables (2010) and returned for The Expendables 2 (2012). She went from recurring to series regular as Rebecca Sewell on ABC Family’s The Lying Game (2012 to 2013). From 2013 she hosted and co-executive produced the Investigation Discovery series Surviving Evil. Later TV credits include Sons of Anarchy (2014), Scream Queens, Chicago P.D. and Lucifer, plus a run of television movies, a guest role on 9-1-1 (2019) and an appearance on Dynasty (2022).

On February 10, 2021, Carpenter posted a statement accusing Joss Whedon of misconduct on the sets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. She wrote that “Joss Whedon abused his power on numerous occasions” and that he “created hostile and toxic work environments since his early career.” She said that when Whedon learned she was pregnant he called a meeting in which “he asked if I was ‘going to keep it,’” and that he went on to “attack my character, mock my religious beliefs, accuse me of sabotaging the show,” then “unceremoniously fired me the following season once I gave birth.” She also said he called her “fat.” She wrote: “For nearly two decades, I have held my tongue and even made excuses for certain events that traumatize me to this day,” and “Despite my fear about its impact on my future, I can no longer remain silent.” The statement came in support of Ray Fisher’s complaints about Whedon’s conduct on Justice League, and she said she had taken part in the WarnerMedia investigation that followed.

In January 2022, after Whedon disputed parts of her account in a New York magazine profile, Carpenter responded publicly, describing him as “a former tyrannical narcissistic boss who is still unable to be accountable and just apologize.”

Lately

In 2025 Carpenter launched The Bitch Is Back, a Patreon-hosted podcast in which she watches Buffy and Angel for the first time, mixing episode reactions with behind-the-scenes memories. Some listeners read the title as a hint about the Hulu Buffy revival, but in August 2025 she said plainly: “I am not in the reboot. I am not in the pilot.”

Off screen

Carpenter was married to Damian Hardy from 2002 to 2008. She is Catholic, and her faith was part of her 2021 account of how she was treated on set.