Joss Whedon claims Gal Gadot only thinks he threatened her because 'English is not her first language'

Joss Whedon can explain.

In a New York magazine profile published Monday, the writer and director addresses numerous allegations of inappropriate or abusive behavior made by past collaborators. Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot, for one, has said Whedon threatened her career on the 2017 DC film, an allegation he denies, telling New York, "I don't threaten people. Who does that?"

Instead, Whedon claims this was a misunderstanding, which he blamed on the fact that "English is not her first language, and I tend to be annoyingly flowery in my speech." He recalled fighting with Gadot over a scene she wanted removed and joking that she'd have to tie him to a railroad track and get rid of it over his dead body. "Then I was told that I had said something about her dead body and tying her to the railroad track," Whedon said.

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Gadot rejected Whedon's explanation, telling New York she "understood perfectly," and another actress who worked with Whedon on Angel told the outlet he once threatened her career after she tried to get a raise.

Whedon also addressed Justice League star Ray Fisher's allegations that his behavior on the film was "abusive" and "unprofessional." The director told New York none of Fisher's claims were "either true or merited discussing," speculating about his motives by saying, "We're talking about a malevolent force. We're talking about a bad actor in both senses."

The interview delves into various other allegations, and includes the director admitting to having affairs on the set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But he denied characterizations of him as an "abusive monster," calling himself "one of the nicer showrunners that's ever been." Read the full article here.