When you discover that an actor whose work you admire is openly racist and antisemitic in real life, does this revelation tarnish every film in which they have appeared?

What about an author who has made disparaging remarks against a minority group? What if a brilliant, funny comedian turned out to be a serial sexual assaulter? What is the boundary between the creator and their work? In 2021, actor Wil Wheaton, who has experience in both fields, offered a surprisingly logical perspective on the matter.

“inquiry: I have a more opinionated inquiry for you. When fans discover misconduct occurring on set or behind the scenes, can they still appreciate the work? Or should it be boycotted entirely? For example, I’ve been a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer since I was a teenager, and the show is currently airing. I was a huge fan of it, and when I lost my father at the age of 16, the episode ‘The Body’ brought me to tears. We now know about Joss Whedon. I haven’t seen a single episode since his actions became known. As a fan, should I set that aside? Is it insulting to the actors who went through it to knowingly continue watching?”

Wheaton provided this reaction, which he shared:

“Answer: I have been exactly where you are right now. In fact, we were just talking about it a few days ago, as it pertains to a person who made a lot of music that I discovered as a teenager. He talked about loneliness and feeling unwanted, which were all emotions I experienced as a teenager.

He ultimately developed into a reprehensible bigot, which prevented me from listening to one of my favorite bands for many years.

But this week, someone pointed out that he was one of several people who collaborated to create something so meaningful to me. And he is no longer the same guy he was when he composed those words. The person I was when I heard those songs deserves recognition and should not be forgotten, because that version of me is not worthless.

This is a lengthy way of stating that Joss turned out to be terrible. Because of who my pals are, I know things that aren’t public knowledge, and it’s awful. He’s simply not a good guy, and it appears that he never was.

BUT! Buffy is more than him. All of the cast and crew contributed to its creation. It’s all the non-Joss authors. Joss is part of it, and some of the episodes he wrote are fantastic.

One of his episodes was very important to you when you were grieving a loss I can only understand. The person you are now, and the 16-year-old you were who recently lost their father, are more significant than the piece of trash Joss Whedon proved himself to be.

He is responsible for his terrible actions. He must accept it and deal with the consequences.

You, a 16-year-old who has just lost their father, should not have to worry about what a trash Joss Whedon is for even a second. That child, as well as you, ought to be able to return to that location whenever necessary.

I cannot speak for the other actors, including those I know. But as a child abuse victim who never wanted to be on camera, I assure you that it’s fine to love your job. The work is great, but if no one will watch it because of something that happened 20 years ago, what’s the point?

I am not the pope of Chilitown, so take this for what it’s worth. I feel that when a piece of art is genuinely significant to someone, for whatever reason, it does not belong to the creator, if it ever did. It belongs to the individual who discovered significance in the artwork.

If you find it appropriate to set it aside and not revisit it, that is entirely acceptable. But if it makes you feel good, it’s fine to take it out and spend time with it.

I’ve written several words. I hope some of these make sense and are useful to you.”

The subject of whether art can or should be divorced from the creator, like almost everything else in the universe, is difficult. It raises philosophical concerns about the nature of art—where it originates from and who owns it—as well as how flawed a person must be for us to reject everything they make.

In 2023, The Atlantic published a heartbreaking opinion post by contributing writer Judith Shulevitz, who argues that art does, in fact, transcend the (problematic) creator. Wheaton’s comment and overall perspective on the subject feel appropriate, especially when it comes to cooperatively generated art.