‘Buffy’ star Nicholas Brendon allegedly ‘groomed’ teenager years before his death

Bernie ZilioFri, April 17, 2026 at 4:39 PM UTC

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‘Buffy’ star Nicholas Brendon allegedly ‘groomed’ teenager years before his death

Nicholas Brendon allegedly “groomed” a teenager years before his death at 54.

In an exclusive interview with Page Six, the now-30-year-old woman — whom we will refer to as Jane Doe 1 — detailed for the first time her alleged experience with the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star following his March 20 death.

“When I heard the news that he died, I cried out of pure relief,” Doe 1 — who is among the almost 9,000 members of a Nicholas Brendon Awareness Facebook group, where alleged victims share their stories and exchange resources — told us.

Doe 1, who currently resides in Virginia but previously lived in South Carolina, said she met Brendon at Awesome Con in Washington, DC, in April 2013 when she was 17.

“I have always wanted to be an actor growing up,” she explained. “So any time I went to a [fan] convention, I saw it as a time to help market myself a little bit and be around people I saw as peers.”

Nicholas Brendon, pictured above in a 2025 Instagram video, has been accused of grooming a teenager years before his death at 54. nicholasbrendon/Instagram

Doe 1 told Page Six she met the late actor (seen here at the 2012 Monster Mania Convention in New Jersey) at Awesome Con in Washington, DC, in April 2013 when she was 17. WireImage

According to Doe 1, Brendon — who was 42 at the time — gave her “the biggest hug” she had ever experienced.

“I was like, ‘Hey, I’m an actor. Can I give you my number? Like, can you help me out?'” she recalled telling him.

“He seemed all for it, and I was like, ‘Awesome!’ So we started texting, and it got flirty,” she alleged as she thought to herself, “I’m 17, talking to f–king Xander from ‘Buffy.’ Wow.”

Doe 1 was admittedly “smitten as s–t.”

“I remember he was at this ski or snowboarding resort, and it was cold, and he was talking about flying me there so we could cuddle and keep warm together,” Doe 1 claimed, noting that Brendon “didn’t start off asking for nudes right away” but eventually allegedly did.

Doe 1, who “always wanted to be an actor,” said she gave Brendon (pictured above at the 2012 New York Comic Con) her number. WireImage

“We started texting, and it got flirty,” she claimed. The “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star is seen here at the 2015 Long Beach Comic Con. Getty Images

“I was like, ‘Bro, I’m 17.’ I was stupid enough to be like, ‘I don’t want you to get in trouble for having nudes of a 17-year-old on your phone.’ And he goes, ‘It’s OK, you’re the age of consent. Just send me the nudes.’ He actually looked up the age of consent [in South Carolina].”

Describing herself as “an artist at heart,” Doe 1 told us she “tried to take tasteful nudes” by “covering up the goodies with a scarf.”

“So I was sending them and sending him those, and he goes, ‘That’s not enough. I want to see all of you,'” she alleged. “And I was like, ‘I’m not comfortable with that.’ And he goes, ‘I’m famous. I’m giving you attention. You should be doing what I ask you to do.'”

Doe 1 claimed she “tried to appease him a couple more times” before the actor “ghosted” her less than six months after meeting.

“I was absolutely f–king devastated,” she confessed as she began to cry, adding, “I thought I was going to be able to date this man and that he was going to help me.”

Doe 1 said Brendon “didn’t start off asking for nudes right away” but eventually allegedly did. / SplashNews.com

When Doe 1 initially protested, Brendon allegedly replied, “It’s OK, you’re the age of consent. Just send me the nudes.” / SplashNews.com

Doe 1 said the alleged experience affected her romantic relationships down the line and that she found herself giving men whatever they wanted because she “didn’t want to be rejected the way [Brendon] rejected [her].”

As a college student, her perspective on the situation was that Brendon was “just another d–khead guy who tried to take advantage of [her].”

But in September 2024, Doe 1 came across a TikTok posted by Brendon’s ex-girlfriend Sarah Allison, who also served as a career assistant during their time together.

Following the end of their personal and working relationship, Allison became an advocate for domestic violence survivors via her “Slay the Silence” account. (She has repeatedly accused Brendon of addiction-fueled abuse toward her and others. Though he never addressed her claims, he did have multiple run-ins with the law, including separate instances involving domestic violence and drug-related charges.)

“That’s what got me back into therapy,” Doe 1 told us of watching Allison’s video, noting that she soon came to understand that Brendon was not just a guy who had broken her heart.

Describing herself as “an artist at heart,” Doe 1 told us she “tried to take tasteful nudes” by “covering up the goodies with a scarf.” Brendon is seen here in a Season 6 “Buffy” promo. é20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection

Brendon allegedly responded, “That’s not enough. I want to see all of you. … I’m famous. I’m giving you attention. You should be doing what I ask you to do.” / SplashNews.com

“I really reflected and realized, ‘Oh, I was really groomed. This was worse than I had thought it was,'” she recalled. (By definition, grooming occurs when a person methodically builds a trusting relationship with a child, young person or adult who may be vulnerable in order to manipulate, coerce or force them to engage in sexual activities. It can take place online or in person, and it can happen over a short or long period of time — from days to years.)

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Doe 1 said she soon connected with Allison, who invited her to join the Facebook support group.

“It made me feel not alone. It made me feel better that I was — this sounds s–tty, but this was not something I wanted to be special in,” Doe 1 told us, lamenting that she “couldn’t have spoken out any sooner” because it took her so long to “process” what had allegedly happened to her.

“I feel sad I couldn’t have done more. I feel bad for everybody. I try not to do the trauma comparison because trauma isn’t a competition, but I feel bad for people who had it worse than me. As my friend pointed out, thank God he never actually got his hands on me because what would that have looked like?”

Doe 1 went on, “Part of the other reason why I’m so happy he is dead is because I was hearing [rumors] that he was bouncing between Virginia and California, and I live in Virginia. So I was living in this constant fear of, ‘Holy s–t, am I ever gonna run into him?'”

Doe 1 claimed she “tried to appease him a couple more times” before he “ghosted” her less than six months after meeting.

“I was absolutely f–king devastated,” she confessed as she began to cry, adding, “I thought I was going to be able to date this man and that he was going to help me.” Brendon is pictured above in a Season 5 “Buffy” promo. ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection

Though Doe 1 “felt a little bad celebrating” Brendon’s death, she explained that she’s “tired of bad people getting put on a pedestal just because they happen to do something that we literally all do.

“Yeah, we all die. It’s not special. It is not a special occurrence. So why does he deserve accolades and grace now that he’s dead? He’s not special just because he died.”

Page Six spoke with another member of the Nicholas Brendon Awareness group, who also allegedly had direct dealings with the TV personality.

Jane Doe 2, a middle school teacher in Kansas, told us she befriended Allison during the latter’s relationship with Brendon. Though the alleged abuse in their relationship “was well underway” by that point, Doe 2 insisted she did not learn about it until later.

During the COVID-19 pandemic when people were forced to quarantine, Doe 2 said, she invited Brendon to participate as a guest on her read-aloud YouTube series.

Doe 1 credited Brendon’s ex-girlfriend Sarah Allison, who advocates for domestic violence survivors, with helping her work through the alleged trauma. The former couple is seen here. Sarah Allison/Facebook

Jane Doe 2 told Page Six she once asked Brendon to sign her “Buffy” board game, to which he allegedly replied, “I’ve got dirty thoughts running through my head right now.” Page Six

“He was a train wreck. He could barely read,” Doe 2 claimed, theorizing that Brendon — who went to rehab multiple times during his life — was likely drunk or high.

“He was so awkward and even made a rape joke during the live!” she alleged. “This was something that I did through my school district account and was, like, promoting it, you know what I mean? I was just horrified.”

Doe 2 added that when she asked Brendon to sign her “Buffy” board game, he allegedly replied, “I’ve got dirty thoughts running through my head right now.”

He then grabbed a Sharpie, circled Angelus’ Mansion — a “Buffy” show reference — and allegedly wrote, “Only go here if you like f–king children.” She provided Page Six with a picture of the signed game.

“I have never heard of or seen any other celebrity giving access the way he did to fans,” Doe 2 told us, slamming Brendon’s “desperation” to make a few bucks while keeping his ego stroked.

She also emphasized that he portrayed a beloved character on a popular series, which she believes makes his alleged actions as a real person that much harder for fans to accept.

He then grabbed a Sharpie, circled Angelus’ Mansion — a “Buffy” show reference — and allegedly wrote, “Only go here if you like f–king children.” Doe 2 provided us with a picture of the signed game. Page Six

Before Brendon’s March 2026 death, he had multiple run-ins with the law, including for domestic violence and drug-related charges. He’s seen here in a 2017 mugshot. Getty Images

She opined, “I think people were and are fiercely protective of him because he was always sort of like this sweet broken puppy that you just wanted to help and save.”

Reps for Brendon did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment on Jane Doe 1 and 2’s allegations.

When his family announced his death, they described him as “a man who lived with intensity, imagination and heart.”

They also referenced “those who truly knew him” while acknowledging that his “struggles” were “no secret.”

While the family insisted that Brendon “passed in his sleep of natural causes,” a cause of death has yet to be released by the Indiana coroner handling the case.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”