A fan-favorite Buffy the Vampire Slayer star has traded the glitz of Hollywood for a path far removed from the entertainment industry.
Eliza Dushku, also known for hits like Bring It On, is now certified in psychedelic-assisted therapy and nearing completion of a master’s in counseling and clinical mental health.
Alongside her husband, real estate developer Peter Palandjian, the 43-year-old beauty is funding groundbreaking research and clinical trials on the potential of psychedelics, according to a recent interview in Boston Magazine.
Dushku hasn’t been seen on screen since 2017, when she appeared in Netflix’s The Saint and played J.P. Nunnelly in CBS’s Bull.
That year, she stepped away from Hollywood after accusing her Bull co-star Michael Weatherly of sexual harassment.
Buffy the Vampire’s Eliza Dushku is now certified in psychedelic-assisted therapy and nearing completion of a master’s in counseling and clinical mental health
Alongside her husband, real estate developer Peter Palandjian , the 43-year-old beauty is funding groundbreaking research and clinical trials on the potential of psychedelics, according to a recent interview in Boston Magazine; (pictured in Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
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In the wake of the allegations, which Weatherly has denied, Dushku was written out of the show and told that her role as a series regular had been abruptly canceled.
Mediation with CBS resulted in the network agreeing to pay Dushku a confidential settlement of $9.5million – roughly the amount she stood to earn if kept on the show for four seasons.
Weatherly apologized for his behavior toward Dushku in a statement to the Times, saying: ‘During the course of taping our show, I made some jokes mocking some lines in the script.
‘When Eliza told me that she wasn’t comfortable with my language and attempt at humor, I was mortified to have offended her and immediately apologized.
‘After reflecting on this further, I better understand that what I said was both not funny and not appropriate and I am sorry and regret the pain this caused Eliza.’
Dushku first rose to fame in 1998 when she was cast as Faith, the rebellious Slayer, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Her standout role as Faith, which she portrayed until 2003, earned her a devoted fanbase and solidified her status as a rising star in Hollywood.
Following Buffy, Dushku starred in the hit cheerleading film Bring It On (2000), which became a cult classic.
Dushku hasn’t been seen on screen since 2017, when she appeared in Netflix ‘s The Saint and played J.P. Nunnelly in CBS’s Bull; (pictured October)
Eliza stepped away from Hollywood after accusing her Bull co-star Michael Weatherly of sexual harassment; (pictured in Bring It On)
In her personal life, Eliza married Peter in 2018, and the couple has since welcomed two children; (pictured 2019)
She also starred in the 2003 action film The New Guy and the drama series Tru Calling (2003-2005), where she played the title role of a young woman who could relive the same day to help people.
After her stint on Tru Calling, Dushku appeared in the 2008 action series Dollhouse, produced by Joss Whedon, where she played Echo, a woman who had her memories erased and was implanted with new personalities.
In her personal life, Eliza married Peter in 2018, and the couple has since welcomed two children.
The family has since made a home in Boston, Eliza’s birthplace, where they are enjoying life away from Hollywood.