7 years ago she left Hollywood: this former Buffy star is now a therapist

At the age of 9, Eliza Dushku caught the attention of a casting director who helped her land her first role in the romantic drama That Night (1992). “Acting somehow found me“, he explained to Boston Magazine in a long interview last September.

The following year, she was Robert De Niro’s daughter in Secret Wounds alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, and a year later, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s daughter in James Cameron’s True Lies. Over the next 25 years, she appeared in more than 30 films and numerous television series, including two between 1998 and 2003, which gave her her best-known role as Faith, another “bad” slayer from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series , Angel. This opportunity led to other roles in films such as American Girls (2000), opposite Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union, and series such as Dollhouse and then Bull.

Charges and retirement

But Eliza Dushku He has not appeared on the screen since 2017, when he accused his partner a bullMichael Weatherly, on sexual harassment. After these allegations, which the actor denied, the actor was released and became a full member of his cast. According to him, he was actually promised a contract “six yearsIn the series, his hero, criminal lawyer, J.P. For the role of Nanelli:However, within the first week of my new position, I was the target of crude, sexual, and obscene verbal attacks. I experienced almost constant sexual harassment from my co-star.“

He eventually revealed that CBS had paid him $9.5 million to settle any claims against the network and that he had been forced to sign a nondisclosure clause. “No judge, no jury, and no chance to find out what really happened (or so they hoped).“, he wrote during the announcement.

Quite a surprising new way

Speaking about the ordeal in an interview with Boston Magazine, the 43-year-old former actress and mother of two looked into her difficult past: the sexual assault she denounced in 2018 when she was 12 years old. during filming true lie By one of Hollywood’s top stunt coordinators and years of drug addiction, which he started taking at age 14 and quit at age 28 after his brother refused to leave him alone with his niece: the revelation. And alcohol dependence also at the same time.

But what finally helped him overcome it all was psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, a discovery he’s now made into a new career after returning to school and graduating in the field.

“Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy involves the administration of a psychedelic drug in a controlled, supervised setting as part of treatment for addictions, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder,” the site states.

“I can definitely say that even though I have a deep respect for DiCaprio and De Niro and the art that they bring to the world—I’ve worked with them and sat with Steven Spielberg—I’m sitting here going, ‘Is this the best?“- he said at the conference held on this topic. “It’s very exciting to me and I feel like it’s something that disrupts humanity. I am humbled and proud of this, more than anything else I have ever done.“

Eliza DushkuNow Eliza Dushku Palanjian finally concluded:I was empowered to change direction and choose a path in my life that focused on healing myself so that I could help others heal. I would be remiss if I did not share the transformation, peace and passion I am experiencing right now. This is simply my true calling, my true purpose.”

Now living in Boston, where he fulfills new duties, he will not be returning to Hollywood anytime soon.

For those nostalgic, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is available to stream again on Disney+ and Prime Video.