Buffy The Vampire Slayer's Darkest Scene Sent James Marsters Into Therapy

This article contains mentions of sexual assault.

Spike (James Marsters) does some truly evil things in many episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," but his attempted sexual assault of the title character in Season 6, Episode 19 ("Seeing Red") stands out as one of the show's most controversial moments. Filming the scene also proved to be a major low point in Marsters' career. "Buffy sent me into therapy, actually. Buffy crushed me," Marsters said on the "Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum" podcast. "It's a problematic scene for a lot of people who like the show. And it's the darkest professional day of my life."

Marsters added that he consciously avoids projects that involve sexual assault scenes, both as an actor and viewer. He also noted that contractual obligations required him to participate in the "Seeing Red" storyline. "It was hell. I was in a personal hell," he added, explaining that the most difficult part was acting opposite Gellar in that context. "I was just having to live through that reality. Film acting is that you make it real for yourself... You don't want to film a scene like that and have it suck on top of having to do it."

Marsters recalled Gellar and other members of the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" cast checking on him afterward, as he lay down on the floor of the set. Needless to say, he has not-so-fond memories of the whole experience, and Gellar is right there with him.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Season 6 is full of dark moments, and Sarah Michelle Gellar has said it remains difficult for her to revisit. In an interview with Vogue, Gellar discussed revisiting the first five seasons with her kids, noting that she refuses to let them watch the sixth installment and beyond until they're much older.

"If it was any other show, I would say, 'That's not something that you should be watching.' Even recently, when I've seen snippets, I watched some of it to make sure that I was remembering things correctly. And then you see that scene with Spike and Buffy. I'm like, There's no way. To me, it wasn't what the show was about."

The Buffy Summers star added that filming Season 6 was a bad experience for her, as it's just too dark for her character. That said, there will be opportunities to create more positive memories moving forward, as Sarah Michelle Gellar is set to return for Hulu's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" reboot.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).