Late Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Nicholas Brendon has been accused of grooming a teenager years before his March death at age 54.
“When I heard the news that he died, I cried out of pure relief,” the alleged victim, now 30, told Page Six in an interview published on Friday, April 17.
The woman — identified in the report as Jane Doe 1 — alleged that she met Brendon at a Washington, D.C. fan convention when she was 17 in April 2013. Jane Doe 1 asked for Brendon’s help getting into acting before they allegedly started exchanging “flirty” text messages.
“I remember he was at this ski or snowboarding resort, and it was cold, and he was talking about flying me there so we could cuddle and keep warm together,” she recalled. “[He] didn’t start off asking for nudes right away.”
Jane Doe 1 told Page Six that she tried to warn Brendon about her age when he eventually did ask her for nude photos.
“I was like, ‘Bro, I’m 17.’ I was stupid enough to be like, ‘I don’t want you to get in trouble for having nudes of a 17-year-old on your phone,’” she said. “And he goes, ‘It’s OK, you’re the age of consent. Just send me the nudes.’ He actually looked up the age of consent [in South Carolina where she lived at the time].”
Jane Doe 1 said she sent “tasteful nudes” where she was “covering up the goodies with a scarf,” but he was allegedly not satisfied unless she was totally naked.
“I was like, ‘I’m not comfortable with that.’ And he goes, ‘I’m famous. I’m giving you attention. You should be doing what I ask you to do,’” she alleged.
Per Jane Doe 1, Brendon ultimately ghosted her after she sent him nude photos a few times. She suggested she experienced trouble in later relationships with men because of her interactions with Brendon.
Years later, Jane Doe 1 was invited by Brendon’s ex-girlfriend and former assistant Sarah Allison to join the Nicholas Brendon Awareness Facebook group so she could share her experiences with others. (Allison has accused Brendon of “addiction-fueled” physical and mental abuse during the three years she worked for him as an assistant. The Buffy actor never responded to her allegations.)
“I really reflected and realized, ‘Oh, I was really groomed. This was worse than I had thought it was,’” Jane Doe 1 said.
During her interview with Page Six, Jane Doe 1 revealed that she felt relief when Brendon died because she lived in “constant fear” of running into him in person.
“Part of the other reason why I’m so happy he is dead is because I was hearing [rumors] that he was bouncing between Virginia and California, and I live in Virginia. So I was living in this constant fear of, ‘Holy s***, am I ever gonna run into him?’” she explained.
Jane Doe 1 added, “[I’m] tired of bad people getting put on a pedestal just because they happen to do something that we literally all do. Yeah, we all die. It’s not special. It is not a special occurrence. So why does he deserve accolades and grace now that he’s dead? He’s not special just because he died.”
Page Six published separate allegations from a friend of Allison’s — referred to as Jane Doe 2 — who accused Brendon of acting inappropriately when he guested on her livestream during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jane Doe 2 accused Brendon of making a “rape joke” during the stream and, when asked to autograph her Buffy board game, he signed on top of Angelus’ Mansion from the TV series, writing, “Don’t go here unless you like f***ing children.”
He also allegedly told Jane Doe 2, “I’ve got dirty thoughts running through my head right now.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Brendon’s representative for comment.
Brendon’s personal conduct and addiction battle made headlines frequently over the last several years. He had repeated run-ins with the law near the end of his life and admitted on a 2015 Dr. Phil episode that he struggled with alcoholism and depression.
Prior to his death, Brendon sued a contractor for $120,000 over unfinished work at his Ohio home. As part of the lawsuit, Brendon was accused of throwing things at construction workers and tracking a man who was hired to do home renovations.
Contractor Stephen Britton claimed in court documents that his “privacy was infringed” and he became “worried for his safety and his workers’ safety” when Brendon allegedly put an AirTag in his work bag.
“I’ve never had this happen to me before, and it was alerted for probably three days prior that my iPhone picked it up,” Britton wrote in his legal filing.
He went on, “I feared, immensely for my life. To be able to go there and work, to be able to get a job done, to worry about weapons and axes that [Brendon allegedly owned] — you know, am I going to get a plate thrown at me? Am I going to get physically assaulted? I was fearful, but then when a tracking device is put on my person, that’s not acceptable.”
Brendon admitted that he put the AirTag in Britton’s bag but said he had no idea what the device was.
“I put it in Steve’s bag ’cause it was close to his bag. When [my assistant] first got [them] like, eight months ago, I’ve never used it, so, no, I had no clue what it was,” Brendon insisted in court documents.
The case was still pending at the time of Brendon’s death.
A family spokesperson confirmed on March 20 that Brendon had died of “natural causes” at age 54.
“We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon,” his family told Us Weekly in a statement. “Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years.”
They went on, “In recent years, Nicky has found his passion in painting and art. Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans. He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create. Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
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