Why did Eliza Dushku quit acting? What we know as Buffy the Vampire Slayer star graduates with master’s degree

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bring It On, and Tru Calling star Eliza Dushku recently completed her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University. But as she marks this academic and personal milestone, fans are now asking why the former Hollywood actress turned her back on the industry.

Dushku officially left acting in 2017. Now 44, Dushku has become not only a psychology student but also a professional who is working on the frontiers of mental health, especially the rapidly developing area of psychedelic-assisted therapy (Boston Magazine).

While Eliza Dushku has said before that she didn’t straight up retire from acting, a few controversial episodes forced her to maintain some distance from the industry. In 2018, Dushku accused Bull co-star Michael Weatherly of sexual harassment, alleging that he made numerous inappropriate comments and engaged in improper actions on set.

She was dropped from the show soon after speaking out about the problem, which she outlined in a testimony to the House Judiciary Committee, and also described the episode as “relentless sexual harassment.”

"Weatherly never apologized to me. Instead, I was fired shortly after speaking with him. After weeks of enduring Weatherly’s harassment, I resolved to deal with it directly. I aimed to be my diplomatic best," she told Boston Globe.

The controversy brought about a $9.5 million settlement with CBS, and Dushku’s exit became part of a larger agenda around #MeToo and workplace harassment.

This was not her first trauma from the industry. In 2018, she also accused True Lies stunt coordinator Joel Kramer of sexually molesting her when she was 12, in an incident that had long been kept out of the public eye.

More about Eliza Dushku's graduation and her journey towards healing

In a heartfelt Instagram post shared on June 6, 2025, Eliza Dushku called her graduation a “deep calling realized” and thanked the past that led her from the world of acting into clinical work.

"After nearly a decade of inner work and building a new life, I’m so grateful for this moment in time... Today, I stand grounded and ready to support others on their journeys of becoming—through self-discovery, healing, and transformation." She wrote on her Instagram post.

Eliza Dushku also thanked her friends, family, colleagues, and professors who helped her achieve her dream by graduating with a master's degree.

In interviews and public appearances over the past few years, Dushku has been expressing her interest in entering the field of psychology. For her, the shift was not only professional but also personal.

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She has credited psychedelic therapy for helping her recover from severe PTSD and years of emotional and psychological trauma. These experiences motivated her to train in psychedelic-assisted therapy, performing education and activism around the legalization of the form of trauma therapy.

Eliza Dushku has made a point to emphasize that leaving the business wasn't a sudden decision. By 2014, well before the Bull scandal, she had already moved back to Boston and started her life there by focusing on advocacy, family, and healing. Now Dushku has also started doing research and clinical trials exploring the therapeutic effects of psychedelics, alongside her husband, Peter Palandjian.

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