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In a court of law, you are innocent until proven guilty.

But the Internet isn’t a court of law.

And Joss Whedon is feeling the brunt of some damning accusations from his ex-wife right about now.

Whedon, Joss
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The beloved writer, producer and directed was raked over the bitter coals by ex-wife Kai Cole on Monday, who was married to Whedon for 16 years.

The couple separated in 2012 and their divorce was finalized in 2016.

In a guest post for The Wrap, Cole said Whedon cheated on her multiple times throughout the course of their marriage, beginning with an affair back when he first created Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

She alleged that Whedon even came clean about his infidelity once the relationship was over.

Obviously angry and upset over Whedon’s actions, Cole also focused on the reputation of Whedon as a pro-woman, strongly feminist member of Hollywood.

She says it’s all a lie.

She says it’s all a front.

Joss Whedon
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Cole said she wrote her blog entry “to let women know that he is not who he pretends to be.”

In the piece, she claimed the following:

He never conceded the hypocrisy of being out in the world preaching feminist ideals, while at the same time, taking away my right to make choices for my life and my body based on the truth.

He deceived me for 15 years, so he could have everything he wanted.

I believed, everyone believed, that he was one of the good guys, committed to fighting for women’s rights, committed to our marriage, and to the women he worked with.

But I now see how he used his relationship with me as a shield, both during and after our marriage, so no one would question his relationships with other women or scrutinize his writing as anything other than feminist.

In response to these allegations, Whedonesque said today it is shutting down.

Joss Whedon Photo
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The popular Whedon fan website announced it is “closing down” and will become a read-only site “at some stage” in the future.

The online destination was a discussion board hub for all things related to The Avengers director and Firefly showrunner.

As much as anyone in his position over the years, Whedon has inspired a passionate and loyal fan community, especially among comic book fans and fans of supernatural storytelling.

He issued a statement saying Cole’s article “includes inaccuracies and misrepresentations,” but also that he would not comment “out of concern for his children and out of respect for his ex-wife.”

The owners of Whedonesque were asked by readers if the website was ending due to “the issue” or for another reason.

And while no precise reason was given for the decision, one owner, Caroline van Oosten de Boer, came out and said:

“I have been toying with closing down the site for various reasons for the last five years or so.”

She added via Twitter:

‘Trust the art, not the artist,’ is a thing I stopped saying when I copped on it was probably an artist who coined the phrase.

Joss Whedon Picture
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Whedon should be heard from in a professional capacity often toward the end of the year.

He took over directing Justice League from Zack Snyder. It comes out on November 17.