Isaiah Washington Calls Grey's "Disgusting" for Firing Brooke Smith

Former Grey's Anatomy star Isaiah Washington -- who was axed from the show in 2007 after spewing a homophobic slur at T.R. Knight -- is slamming the show for firing Brooke Smith.


"I looked at a brilliant actress, whom I have adored since I first saw her in Silence of the Lambs," he says in the Nov. 17 issue of TV Guide. "For her to be treated this way, I find very interesting."


Grey's creator Shonda Rhimes released a statement last week insisting that "Brooke Smith was obviously not fired for playing a lesbian .... we did not find that the magic and chemistry with Brooke's character would sustain in the long run."


Regardless, Washington says the move was harsh.



"The fact is that, just before the holidays, you have a mother, a wonderful actress removed from a steady income without the proper reasoning behind it..." he says.

Keep reading

-or-

Read and watch what Patrick Dempsey said about it on Ellen

-or-

Read the initial report of Smith's firing

Comments

[ChiGuy]

Poor Mr. Washington.
So starved for attention that he feels the need to go after the people that canned his sorry a**.

Get used to community theater, Isaiah.

[DeloresT]

Since Washington left the show, Grey's has turned into Gay's Anatomy. I think that this is a result of what happened with Washington. This season most episodes appeared forced.. I used to love this show, but I stopped watching a few weeks ago.

[UWNBM]

You are contemptible...

[Eric8869]

God your comment is so dumb

[moveleft]

And now "Ghost Whisperer" can count on another set of glazed over eyeballs. DELOREST, to call you an idiot would be an insult to idiots everywhere. Don't let the door hit you on your way out.

[G FORCE]

THAT SHOW SUCKS BIG TIME!!!!

[binq56]

It was a boring story line and her character was never interesting from the beginning even before she came out. If she were playing a straight character no one would be talking about it.

[siney]

if brooke smith's erica was sleeping with mcsteamy instead of callie, then brooke smith would still be on the show and indeed no one would be talking about it, certainly not like this...

[scornflakes]

Show sucks. Always has.

[UWNBM]

I agree...

[bknott]

That sucks - she was great on Silence of the Lambs, and on Weeds!

[Michael7843853]

'Grey's' is 90% about physical appeal to people in general and the show's audience in particular. I'm guessing her negatives were too high and her positives were too low. An ensemble cast is kind of like a football team; she just got cut.

[siney]

yeah, too bad it wasn't about talent...if that were the case brooke smith would still be there and TR, among others, would not...

[granamica]

Word. TR and Ellen are terrible, terrible.

[sepia830]

I like Isiah Washington and can appreciate what he had to say in defense of Brooke Smith. Just because some people don't like what went down with him and TR Knight doesn't mean that he isn't entitled to his opinion and should refrain from expressing it. As for firing Brooke....why didn't they just take her character in a different direction rather than firing her? It happens all the time in TV land....

[rphillips4165]

Look I'm gay and really don't care what he said to T.R. If it happened it just shows how ignorant he is. What turned me off of him what an interview where he said he always try's to be a leader anywhere he works. He said he had chastised Patrick Dempsey for being late. If Washington was a producer, or director I could see this. But he is only an actor. A hired body just like all the other actors. It's not his job to tall others what to do. He just thinks that he is more important than he really is.

[thankulord13]

That's funny because I am Black and I said the same thing about TR Knight not being important!

[UWNBM]

I don't care what he says no or at any time...

[Eric8869]

Well he wasn't really defending Brooke Smith - he was just trying to insult the employer who fired him. DUH

[Rictracee]

LOL. I stoped watching Greys Anatomy,, the whole shows' formular was lost when they axed Washington on those false allegations because he NEVER SAID HOMOPHOBIC slur to TR Knight.... Grey's is becoming something redundant and boring.. they do not have the magic of a cast with good chemistry and character development w/ diversity.. the best thing on the show now is Sandra O.. but I just not watch anymore , can't wait till they cancel this show.

[thankulord13]

Excuse you and Chandra Wilson is a great talent thank very much! I can do without the rest. I also agree with you about the TR Knight stuff... He used the whole situation to make himself (TR) the victim. The funny thing is no one really talks about him because he really isn't that talented. The best part of the whole fiasco was when TR was on Ellen and said no one has ever called him the F-Word! Please I am straight and got called that all the time in high school. When he said that, that's when I realized that he was full of it and a liar. Washington has a right to his opinions and if the media ask for them who are we to start censoring folks for how they feel, last I checked this is America!

[hopeful1]

I think the whole thing got blown out of proportion not only by TR Knight, but also by Katherine Heigl. I never understood how an argument between Patrick Dempsey and Isaiah Washington led to TR Knight coming out. What the hell does one have to do with the other? Then Heigl put her nose in it and amplified an argument that had nothing to do with her in the least. Washington was very wrong to use the slur, but all the shenanigans that followed were out of proportion. He should have simply apologized privately to Dempsey (which he did) and Knight and maybe had some additional disciplinary action against him (but "gay slur rehab" was over the top) and that should have been the end of it.

[Eric8869]

You are so ignorant. TR Knight NEVER made himself the victim. He never commented on the situation or did anything until he was FORCED out of the closet by the incident and was forced to respond.

Washington kept bringing it up and was fired for not keeping his mouth shut period.

Then HE tried to blame Knight for the firing.

You don't know what you're talking about.

[UWNBM]

Lies...he is a loser.

[susou]

Why doesn't he just shut up and mind his own business.

[thankulord13]

Why don't you!

[UWNBM]

I see people are already attacking you for stating the obvious!
This fool needs to shut up and sit down.

[Rhonnybay]

Because he sees this as hypocritical.

[TheKidd]

i don't know why but i think you just gotta love Washington. i stopped watching since he got kicked out as well.

[magneato]

It puts the lotion in the basket. It puts the lotion in the basket, or it gets the hose again...

Sorry, tasteless I know :)

[Eric8869]

Ok Fava beans

[BMo2xl]

Between the firing of an actress playing a lesbian and the ridiculous outcome of Prop 8 what does this say about liberal California?

[Eric8869]

It's liberal except for religious predjudice

[UWNBM]

The Mormons played on the fears and ignorance of people...many of the things they tried to convince people of were simply wrong and were lies.

[Rictracee]

hey it was on Bill Mahr last week that California is not as liberal and gay friendly as you think.. the whole hollywood thing is homophobic crap, and all those gays and closeted gays working in Hollywood will soon work their way out of jobs because of self hate.

[handyallen1]

you got that right quit looking to us we aint got no answers

[WowJones]

I'm so confused, didn't they fire Washington for being a homophobe? What is this his penance?

[Eric8869]

Desperation more like it

[UWNBM]

Hardly...it will take him a lifetime for that...

[JubilationLeigh]

Maybe gay slur rehab worked. Maybe he's just talking smack for the sake of it. *shrugs*

[Bitsko]

It ain't called Show BUSINESS for nothing.