Williams and co-star Joshua Leonard, who continue to work in the film industry, spoke to Day 6 about the unusual nature of The Blair Witch Project, which left a lasting imprint on horror media when it was released in 1999 — but also the real-life long-term scars it left on them and their co-star Heather Donahue.

The trio faced hate and harassment from people who felt duped by the movie’s marketing, and have continued to call for fair compensation and residual payments related to the film’s franchise, which has only grown in the past 25 years.

“It’s been rough, and there have been aspects of trauma,” said Leonard.

“Nobody has ever stepped in from the studio side … to say, ‘Oh man, that must have been hard. Maybe we can give you a heads up next time [a sequel is] going to come out. Maybe we can help you pay for the therapy bills that you’ve been paying over 20 years.’”