Whedonesque, the most prominent Joss Whedon fan site, is shutting down after 15 years online. This news came within hours of a shocking article by Whedon’s ex-wife Kai Cole, who accused him of multiple affairs with fans, coworkers, and actors on the set of and other projects.
While Whedonesque’s farewell statement does not explicitly refer to Whedon’s personal life, the timing is not a coincidence. After announcing that Whedonesque will soon become a read-only site, the administrators advised fans to celebrate their community by donating to “a charity or organisation that deals with the treatment of Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD).” It’s an obvious nod to Cole’s article, where she said she was diagnosed with C-PTSD after the end her relationship with Whedon.
Just like to say thank you to everyone who followed us
— Wh*donesque (@whedonesque) August 21, 2017
This is a decisive move from Whedonesque, which has been a hub for Whedon fandom since 2002. It hosted fan discussions and frequently broke news about Whedon projects, with Whedon sometimes posting comments himself. By closing the site instead of defending Whedon’s public image, Whedonesque’s administrators send a strong message to the fan community at large.