Grey’s Anatomy’s Isaiah Washington Needs to Go
January 16, 2007 by Kath Skerry
Yeah, I’m SOOOOO over Isaiah Washington. Bye Dr. Burke, don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out of Seattle Grace. So by now you’ve heard all about the scandal the erupted a few months ago on the set of Grey’s Anatomy. The short version? Of course I wasn’t there, but it was widely reported that someone was late to set and words were exchanged that led to a small physical altercation involving Patrick Dempsey and Isaiah Washington. In the mix of all this supposedly Isaiah referred to TR Knight using a hateful word, which allegedly prompted TR Knight to declare his sexual preference to the press. (TR Knight addresses the issue on Wed on Ellen)
Ok, so the cast tried to do some damage control and downplay the events to the press. And no one worked harder on this than Isaiah himself. They even went on Oprah and discussed it. And for anyone that saw that show the body language of the cast clearly showed that this incident was still raw.So fast forward to last night and the backstage press room interview at the Golden Globes. According to those who were there, one of the very first questions asked of the Grey’s cast after their win for Best Drama referenced the now infamous incident with Knight/Washingston/Dempsey. TR Knight tried to make a joke about it and said “What fight?”. Unfortunately, Isaiah Washington doesn’t know when to keep his ignorant mouth shut and raced to the microphone and said…get this…“No, I did not call T.R. a faggot. Never happened”. Snap! Yeah, I had to check it out in a few places before I truly believed it. Um, sorry Isaiah, but actually by making that statement you pretty much did call him that word….again. (See the video of the press room even before they take it down)
Reports said that the cast looked stunned at Washington’s words while show runner Shonda Rhimes tried to quell the situation by saying something about how the press spun the story…yada yada yada and they were happy for the Golden Globe.The incident in the press room definitely affected Grey’s star Katherine Heigl who commented on the matter soon after it happened. A visibly shaken Heigl said: “I am not okay with it…I’m going to be really honest right now, he needs to just not speak in public. Period. I’m sorry, that did not need to be said, I’m not okay with it.”
When asked if she thought it was just an off-the-cuff remark, Heigl added, “I have no idea what it was, I just find it hurtful…I just feel like this is something that should be very much in house we need to deal with and it’s among us and the cast and crew and among Shonda and the producers.”
“I don’t think he means it the way he comes off, but, TR is my best friend. I will throw down for that kid. I will beat you up. I will use every ounce of energy I have to take you down if you hurt his feelings,” said Heigl (go Izzie, we got your back and George’s)
When asked if she thought Knight was hurt by Washington’s comments she added, “I don’t see how you could not be under those circumstances. Drawing attention to it and saying the word again is just unnecessary.” (Watch the clip of Katherine Heigl talking about the incident here)
Um, keyword in that last sentence…”AGAIN”. This is someone in the know and she implies that the press room incident was NOT the first time that Isaiah used the hate language.
Listen, I don’t mean to get all political on GMMR and cause a raucous, but this type of behavior is unacceptable. I am personally no longer interested in watching Isaiah Washington on Grey’s Anatomy. It’s my prerogative to feel this way and I’m not going to apologize for it.
You can click here to read more about Isaiah’s immediate reaction after the press room incident. It was so shallow ugly (“Patrick Dempsey and I sign ‘Ebony and Ivory’ every day…and you don’t see that on CNN”) that I really didn’t feel like publishing it. And he doesn’t really say anything that changed my opinion of the situation. I think it makes him look even worse. So go over there to read it because I’m not interested in sharing his side of the story. I’m not the press so no ‘fair and balanced’ coverage from me. Ah, the beauty of a blog that is all my own.
Related Posts
Filed under TV News
Unbelievable. It’s a shame because Isaiah Washington is a very talented actor, but what a complete knucklehead. Just no sense at all. It’s almost like he’s trying to get himself fired. Just write him out. That storyline was getting on my nerves anyway.
I totally agree with everything that was said by Katherine Heigl, and GMMR. I don’t see how they can keep Isaiah on the show. If both Katherine and TR are uncomfortable around him, as Katherine clearly is, then he has to go. How could the rest of the cast not feel the same way?
If in the next couple of weeks we don’t hear anything about Isaiah leaving the show, then I will seriously stop watching.
Seriously? Seriously!
His behavior is unacceptable. I agree with Susan M, it’s a pity because he is such a talented actor. But what a jack-ass thing to say. And to do it again?! yuck.
i do not agree with his comment, but in my case i love dr. burke, maybe not the actor but i love the character, so i really hope they all talk and can resolve their issues.
I completely agree with your post. Isaiah Washington NEEDS to go. I barely tolerated him on screen after the first incident, now I want Burke gone. Which is a shame because he isn’t a bad actor and Cristina and Burke are/were an interesting couple. But yeah, I can’t see how GA could/would keep IW on.
I totally agree with your entire entry. Isaiah Washington is a complete disgrace and he needs to be dealt with. I can’t even watch Grey’s anymore because I find him so completely repulsive. YUCK.
And I must add that I’m a huge fan of T.R. Knight’s and I find his relationship with Katherine both on and off the show to be incredibly endearing, so it’s wonderful to hear her thoughts on the whole issue and to know that she’s just as shaken by this as the rest of us are. Bravo, Miss Heigl. You’re a class act.
God, how much do I freaking love Katherine Heigl for speaking her mind about that? What a down-to-earth, loyal class act. Isaiah Washington makes himself look more and more like a jerk everytime he speaks – does the man not have a publicist to tell him to shut his hole and not make things worse? I love that Katherine said he needs to not talk in public anymore. That’s awesome that she just said exactly what she thought and felt in defense of her friend, and didn’t worry about being all “TV” about it and sugarcoating it while dancing around the issue. Amazing. Next to Jenna Fischer, Katherine is entering girlcrush-dom by the minute!
That is absolutely ridiculous and disgusting. Thanks to Katie Heigl for saying something. I completely agree with you. Goodbye, Isaiah.
TR confirms that Isaiah called him that word on Ellen tomorrow. There is a sneak peek clip on Ellen’s site.
http://ellen.warnerbros.com/
What he did was unacceptable. Period! You don’t go around calling your friends, coworkers, or even strangers that. The whole we are a family and fights are going to happen excuse isn’t cutting it. I agree it’s time for Dr. Burke to be shipped out of Seattle Grace.
Finally, some truth comes out.
Thanks, Amanda. Can’t wait to watch Ellen.
Seriously, GMMR, seriously. Isaiah needs to go.
I’d planned to watch Ellen today anyway but this is making me even more intrigued. 🙂
I try not to judge in situations where I don’t see things first-hand, but if he has said these things and acted in this way then shame on him.
I think Ausiello over at TV Guide puts it best when he wrote today :
“His continued employment on a show that wears its diversity as a badge of honor is the height of hypocrisy. If ABC wants to be remotely true to the principles Shonda Rhimes so eloquently espouses through the show, it has to do the right thing and fire Washington. Anything else at this point is simply unacceptable. “
[…] GMMR: Isaiah Washington Must Go […]
Well one of Shonda’s principles is also that we are human being and we can make wrong choices, but that everyone deserves a second chance. Moreover you all are criticining Isaiah and ask for him to be fired, but this makes you like him because you in this precise moment are offendig him in so many ways, with so many words that are more hurtful that fa***. He has done something wrong, but you are doing the same.
That is a rash judgement. We are fans, we are suppose to react in certain ways vs. celebrities. They get paid to entertain us, not piss us off. I don’t see anyone here using racial slurs against IW. He is in the public spotlight–he is not like every other normal person out there. His words have consequences–and the fact that he’s done it again just goes to show that he is the egotisical man that other people, those of whom aren’t on GA, placed him as years ago. IW got his second chance and obviously has blown it. You name one person on here who has said a racial slur against IW like he made a gay slur against TR and I will jump on your bandwagon. Until then, your post is so wrong.
There is NOTHING in this post that would offend Isaiah Washington on the same level as to what was said to TR.
Ok, I have to preface this with the fact that we are all entitled to our own opinions and that none of us were there so we are only dealing with second hand knowledge of the account and have to rely on the words of those involved regarding the incident to form our views of the event. That being said, we have heard one side of the story (Knight’s, Dempsey’s, and the like) substantiated by more than one person and have only heard Washington’s side from Washington himself.
Vissy–I don’t believe that people are calling for Washington to be fired solely for saying the “f-word” but the fact that he has gone so far as to lie about it in the manner that he did.
Yes, we all get angry and say things that we don’t mean–or think but would not say them under normal circumstances–but hopefully we take the high road and admit our mistakes, mend fences, and move on. Washington, however, chose to deny the incident ever happened at a very inappropriate time. In the Access Hollywood interview he made many statements that were false, demeaning, and all geared toward giving him the upper hand–“Chastity Bono made me the GLAAD poster boy for two years after I played a gay, conservative black man in “Get on the Bus”–and yet they have only made him lose face.
Yes, Grey’s Anatomy is about being human, and that we all make mistakes and deserve second chances; however, it is also about the consequences that arise from such mistakes and that one must own up to these wrong choices in order to move on or else they blow up in one’s face. By denying his wrong choice he is not following this principle.
In no way do I think that being critical of Washington’s remarks–which many of those involved maintain to be false–makes me like him. I am not calling him names, talking about how much I embrace diversity, or denying anything that I said. I am merely stating how disappointed I am in a man that had every opportunity to be a role model and take the high road by admitting his mistakes and has chosen to run in the opposite direction.
[…] Grey’s Anatomy’s Isaiah Washington Needs to Go […]
Call me crazy, but I fail to see how me calling Isaiah Washington a jerk in somebody’s blog comments can reasonably be compared to calling a coworker a faggot, lying about it to the public, and then re-using the word (again, in public). To me personally, that just doesn’t quite match up. I’m sorry if you’re offended on his behalf – you certainly have more tolerance than I ever could – but I think that if he had the gall to say it, and then make matters worse by parading around in public with these insincere statements of apology and denial (of course, just my opinion), he shouldn’t be surprised by public criticism.
No matter how badly you view his initial slur, his forced apology and recent denial are just plain unprofessional. GMMR, you and I agree on this, as on so many other things. I put all my thoughts in my own post which, as I’m sure you can guess, isn’t so different from yours.
This was one hell of a post, GMMR. Good on you for actually editorializing and telling everyone how you feel. I really appreciate your honesty.
I’m not sure if I can agree 100% on firing IW, simply because it might interrupt the show creatively, but if it can be done I guess it should. This can’t go unpunished, especially not now that it’s reached this level (I mean, he basically confirmed his actions by denying them).
Washington needs to go. Hopefully the current storyline is conducive to dropping him pronto. It certainly seems like it is. Hopefully it wouldn’t mess up any other character’s storyline too much. He’s learned nothing over the past 3 months and that is truly the most disturbing thing about it all.
all you haters are whatever you guys call your self you guys need to understand that faggot and gay means the same thing so you all need to get over it and leave iwashington alone. if you are that afraid of being a faggot then go the other way. you guys are too fucking over sensitive it is not like tr is not a faggot he is so what is the problem that is what he is so he need to accept it and shut the hell up yes he is a faggot. he is gay. what is the difference people do u guys have nothing else to think about or to occupy ur time if u don’t the you guys need to find a way to get bush out of office so that all these innocent soilders can stop die, there is something to occupy all yall ass hole mind that is making a big deal.
And the award for the most intelligent and well written comment of the day goes to momifa .
Ignorance breeds ignorance. Please don’t have children.