Nicholas Brendon allegedly “groomed” a teen years earlier than his dying at 54.
In an unique interview with Web page Six, the now-30-year-old lady — whom we are going to consult with as Jane Doe 1 — detailed for the primary time her alleged expertise with the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star following his March 20 dying.
“Once I heard the information that he died, I cried out of pure reduction,” Doe 1 — who’s among the many virtually 9,000 members of a Nicholas Brendon Consciousness Fb group, the place alleged victims share their tales and change sources — instructed us.
Doe 1, who presently resides in Virginia however beforehand lived in South Carolina, mentioned she met Brendon at Superior Con in Washington, DC, in April 2013 when she was 17.
“I’ve all the time wished to be an actor rising up,” she defined. “So any time I went to a [fan] conference, I noticed it as a time to assist market myself just a little bit and be round individuals I noticed as friends.”
Based on Doe 1, Brendon — who was 42 on the time — gave her “the largest hug” she had ever skilled.
“I used to be like, ‘Hey, I’m an actor. Can I offer you my quantity? Like, are you able to assist me out?’” she recalled telling him.
“He appeared all for it, and I used to be like, ‘Superior!’ So we began texting, and it acquired flirty,” she alleged as she thought to herself, “I’m 17, speaking to f–king Xander from ‘Buffy.’ Wow.”
Doe 1 was admittedly “smitten as s–t.”
“I keep in mind he was at this ski or snowboarding resort, and it was chilly, and he was speaking about flying me there so we may cuddle and hold heat collectively,” Doe 1 claimed, noting that Brendon “didn’t begin off asking for nudes straight away” however ultimately allegedly did.
“I used to be like, ‘Bro, I’m 17.’ I used to be silly sufficient to be like, ‘I don’t need you to get in bother for having nudes of a 17-year-old in your telephone.’ And he goes, ‘It’s OK, you’re the age of consent. Simply ship me the nudes.’ He truly appeared up the age of consent [in South Carolina].”
Describing herself as “an artist at coronary heart,” Doe 1 instructed us she “tried to take tasteful nudes” by “masking up the goodies with a shawl.”
“So I used to be sending them and sending him these, and he goes, ‘That’s not sufficient. I wish to see all of you,’” she alleged. “And I used to be like, ‘I’m not comfy with that.’ And he goes, ‘I’m well-known. I’m providing you with consideration. You need to be doing what I ask you to do.’”
Doe 1 claimed she “tried to appease him a pair extra occasions” earlier than the actor “ghosted” her lower than six months after assembly.
“I used to be completely f–king devastated,” she confessed as she started to cry, including, “I assumed I used to be going to have the ability to date this man and that he was going to assist me.”
Doe 1 mentioned the alleged expertise affected her romantic relationships down the road and that she discovered herself giving males no matter they wished as a result of she “didn’t wish to be rejected the way in which [Brendon] rejected [her].”
As a university pupil, her perspective on the state of affairs was that Brendon was “simply one other d–khead man who tried to make the most of [her].”
However in September 2024, Doe 1 got here throughout a TikTok posted by Brendon’s ex-girlfriend Sarah Allison, who additionally served as a profession assistant throughout their time collectively.
Following the tip of their private and dealing relationship, Allison turned an advocate for home violence survivors through her “Slay the Silence” account. (She has repeatedly accused Brendon of addiction-fueled abuse towards her and others. Although he by no means addressed her claims, he did have a number of run-ins with the regulation, together with separate situations involving home violence and drug-related costs.)
“That’s what acquired me again into remedy,” Doe 1 instructed us of watching Allison’s video, noting that she quickly got here to know that Brendon was not only a man who had damaged her coronary heart.
“I actually mirrored and realized, ‘Oh, I used to be actually groomed. This was worse than I had thought it was,’” she recalled. (By definition, grooming happens when an individual methodically builds a trusting relationship with a baby, younger individual or grownup who could also be susceptible as a way to manipulate, coerce or drive them to have interaction in sexual actions. It might happen on-line or in individual, and it may occur over a brief or lengthy time period — from days to years.)
Doe 1 mentioned she quickly related with Allison, who invited her to hitch the Fb help group.
“It made me really feel not alone. It made me really feel higher that I used to be — this sounds s–tty, however this was not one thing I wished to be particular in,” Doe 1 instructed us, lamenting that she “couldn’t have spoken out any sooner” as a result of it took her so lengthy to “course of” what had allegedly occurred to her.
“I really feel unhappy I couldn’t have completed extra. I really feel unhealthy for everyone. I strive to not do the trauma comparability as a result of trauma isn’t a contest, however I really feel unhealthy for individuals who had it worse than me. As my good friend identified, thank God he by no means truly acquired his palms on me as a result of what would which have appeared like?”
Doe 1 went on, “A part of the opposite motive why I’m so blissful he’s lifeless is as a result of I used to be listening to [rumors] that he was bouncing between Virginia and California, and I stay in Virginia. So I used to be dwelling on this fixed concern of, ‘Holy s–t, am I ever gonna run into him?’”
Although Doe 1 “felt just a little unhealthy celebrating” Brendon’s dying, she defined that she’s “uninterested in unhealthy individuals getting placed on a pedestal simply because they occur to do one thing that we actually all do.
“Yeah, all of us die. It’s not particular. It isn’t a particular incidence. So why does he deserve accolades and charm now that he’s lifeless? He’s not particular simply because he died.”
Web page Six spoke with one other member of the Nicholas Brendon Consciousness group, who additionally allegedly had direct dealings with the TV persona.
Jane Doe 2, a center faculty trainer in Kansas, instructed us she befriended Allison through the latter’s relationship with Brendon. Although the alleged abuse of their relationship “was nicely underway” by that time, Doe 2 insisted she didn’t study it till later.
Through the COVID-19 pandemic when individuals had been compelled to quarantine, Doe 2 mentioned she invited Brendon to take part as a visitor on her read-aloud YouTube collection.
“He was a prepare wreck. He may barely learn,” Doe 2 claimed, theorizing that Brendon — who went to rehab a number of occasions throughout his life — was possible drunk or excessive.
“He was so awkward and even made a rape joke through the stay!” she alleged. “This was one thing that I did by way of my faculty district account and was, like, selling it, you recognize what I imply? I used to be simply horrified.”
Doe 2 added that when she requested Brendon to signal her “Buffy” board recreation, he allegedly replied, “I’ve acquired soiled ideas working by way of my head proper now.”
He then grabbed a Sharpie, circled Angelus’ Mansion — a “Buffy” present reference — and allegedly wrote, “Solely go right here when you like f–king kids.” She offered Web page Six with an image of the signed recreation.
“I’ve by no means heard of or seen another movie star giving entry the way in which he did to followers,” Doe 2 instructed us, slamming Brendon’s “desperation” to make a couple of dollars whereas preserving his ego stroked.
She additionally emphasised that he portrayed a beloved character on a well-liked collection, which she believes makes his alleged actions as an actual person who a lot tougher for followers settle for.
She opined, “I feel individuals had been and are fiercely protecting of him as a result of he was all the time form of like this candy damaged pet that you simply simply wished to assist and save.”
Reps for Brendon didn’t instantly reply to Web page Six’s requests for touch upon Jane Doe 1 and a couple of’s allegations.
When his household introduced his dying, they described him as “a person who lived with depth, creativeness and coronary heart.”
In addition they referenced “those that really knew him” whereas acknowledging that his “struggles” had been “no secret.”
Whereas the household insisted that Brendon “handed in his sleep of pure causes,” a reason for dying has but to be launched by the Indiana coroner dealing with the case.
If you happen to or somebody you recognize is affected by any of the problems raised on this story, name the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
