Daily Times

Shonda Rhimes is reflecting on the early days of Grey’s Anatomy. The Shondaland creator-who has gone on to create Scandal, Bridgerton and How to Get Away With Murder under her company-recently detailed how she thought an early on-set incident was nearly the end of the medical drama. In 2006, Isaiah Washington, who portrayed Dr Preston Burke on the ABC series, got into a physical confrontation with costar Patrick Dempsey, which included the use of a homophobic slur toward costar T.R. Knight and ultimately led to Washington’s firing. After the incident, Rhimes feared the fallout “was going to kill the show.” “I think the thorn was having the bubble of joy burst so early on Grey’s,” she told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published March 19, “and not having anybody interested in helping us deal with it, because that really shaped a lot of how we looked at the world going forward.” She added, “It’s funny, every Grey’s actor I talk to who was there during that time is still traumatized by that incident. People still talk about it.” After initially denying his use of the homophobic slur, Washington admitted he had used the word and apologized in a 2007 statement to The Showbuzz, per CBS News. Despite the apology, ABC chose not to renew Washington’s contract in 2007, a spokesperson confirmed to ABC News at the time, though the network declined to comment further regarding his exit. While Washington’s controversy rocked Rhimes and the show’s cast, it wasn’t the only drama the show-which began in 2005 and is now in its 21st season-had to tackle head-on.