Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz at the 2026 Emmys
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‘Outrageous’: Emmys speech sparks backlash over glaring omission from Buffy reunion

One was missing from the In Memoriam entirely

Daisy Phillipson
15th September 2026, 11:04
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The 2026 Emmy Awards featured an emotional Buffy the Vampire Slayer reunion this year, but viewers were left disappointed after the show’s late cast members weren’t named during the tribute.

On Monday, September 14, some of the biggest names in TV took to the Emmys stage to honour the past year’s small screen achievements, while also celebrating milestone anniversaries. 

One of those was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which marked its 30th anniversary by bringing together Buffy and Angel stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz to announce the award for lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie.

During their speech, they spoke about Buffy and Angel’s love story, with Boreanaz saying the vampire hunter “falls in love with a vampire with a soul carrying around a couple hundred years of regret.”

He then says, “I always thought that Buffy and Angel would end up together,” to which Gellar replies, “Well, I guess we won’t find out” – a dig at the Buffy sequel series that was cancelled by Hulu earlier this year. 

But the part that’s sparked debate is the reunion’s acknowledgement of the Buffy cast members who have died. Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy’s younger sister Dawn Summers, passed away in February 2025, while Giles and Xander actors Anthony Head and Nicholas Brendon died in June and March 2026, respectively. 

Without naming any of the three actors individually, Gellar said, “David and I would like to acknowledge that it has been a tough two years for our beloved cast and crew, and we feel very lucky to have known and worked with such amazing people,” while Boreanaz added, “Indeed.”

Some viewers felt the acknowledgement didn’t go far enough. Taking to X, one wrote, “They going up on stage and not saying about Anthony and Michelle properly, with names, paying tribute is outrageous, ridiculous to say at least.”

Another agreed, “For reals. They had time for a bit about Buffy and Angel, but couldn’t say anything special about Anthony, or Michelle? That would have been a nicer tribute to the show.”

Giles, Dawn and Buffy in Buffy
Credit: Disney

The criticism continued during the In Memoriam segment later in the ceremony. While Head was included, Brendon was noticeably absent from the televised tribute, although he does appear in the Television Academy’s online In Memoriam.

The reason for Brendon’s omission hasn’t been confirmed. But some fans have pointed out his well-documented history of legal issues before his death, including arrests involving domestic violence. In 2015, he pleaded guilty following an incident involving his then-girlfriend.

It’s been theorised that this is why Gellar and Boreanaz’s speech didn’t mention any of the late actors’ names. 

Angel, Buffy and Xander in Buffy
Credit: Disney

“It’s because of Nicholas Brendon’s abusive history,” wrote one. “If they had called out Michelle, Tony, even Dolly but left off Nicholas, the fans would’ve been furious. If they had mentioned Nicholas then another group would’ve been upset. They did it the classiest way they could.” 

It’s worth reiterating that this isn’t confirmed, and there’s also no indication Gellar or Boreanaz personally made the decision not to name their late co-stars. “They follow an approved script,” wrote one viewer.

Presenter material for awards ceremonies is typically scripted by the production’s writing team, with this year’s Emmys bringing in a team of former Late Show with Stephen Colbert writers.

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Featured image credit: Rob Latour/Shutterstock