Eliza Dushku has made a rare public appearance about eight years after leaving Hollywood behind for a career change. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer star, known for playing the outspoken slayer Faith in the hit TV series, revealed what she has been up to in a social media update earlier this week.
On Thursday, May 28, she took to Instagram and posted a self-taken video of herself strolling through a baseball field in her hometown of Boston. In the clip, she appeared to be wearing little to no makeup and sported longer, lighter brunette hair compared to the darker bob she had during her time on Buffy and the spinoff Angel.
Dushku, now 45, retired from acting in 2017 and made a career change into mental health counseling and trauma care. She shared that she has been training for a marathon organized by the nonprofit she works for now, the Home Base Program, which supports veterans and their families.
Training for a Marathon
In her latest social media update, Dushku showed fans footage of her walking around Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox, while talking about training for the Run to Home Base marathon. She was chatting with Boston Globe Media CEO Linda Pizzuti Henry about signing up for the event, which takes place in July.
She encouraged others to join, even if they walk instead of running. 'I got to be honest, I'm getting a little nervous,' she said. 'I run after my kids, that's about the extent of it.'
On Thursday, May 21, Dushku posted another video of herself putting on running shoes to go jogging. She was makeup-free and sitting outside, explaining her motivation. 'Not gonna lie: I'm not running this because I love running,' she said. 'I'm running because the mission behind the Home Base Program is incredibly important to me.'
New Career in Mental Health
Dushku was inspired to pursue a new career after being diagnosed with PTSD and undergoing treatment herself seven years ago. In June 2025, she graduated with a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling, focusing on addiction, recovery, and trauma at Lesley University. She also earned a certification in psychedelic assisted therapy from a California university.
Since then, she has been working as a mental health counselor at Home Base, treating patients using holistic psychology and psychedelic therapy. Earlier this month, she returned to her alma mater to receive an honorary doctorate and deliver a speech at the commencement ceremony about her new career.
Personal Life and Sobriety
Dushku married Peter Palandjian in 2018, and they share sons Bourne, seven, and Bodie, five. Palandjian is a billionaire businessman and former tennis player.
In November 2025, she celebrated 17 years of sobriety and discussed how psychedelic assisted therapy for PTSD inspired her career path. She reflected on her 25-year acting career, which began at age nine with roles in Buffy, Angel, Bring It On, and True Lies. 'I had many beautiful experiences,' she said. 'Certainly, I also had many harder experiences, which I've talked about, but I would be remiss if I didn't truly highlight all the incredible people that I met and worked with.'
Dushku previously accused Bull co-star Michael Weatherly of sexual harassment and sued CBS, receiving a $9.5 million settlement in 2018. She also alleged that stunt coordinator Joel Kramer sexually assaulted her when she was 12 years old while filming True Lies.
