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

[mcasey]

If I read his comments correctly, Isiah was refering to a fine actress being fired....It had nothing to do with the role she played.....GA has never been the same since Isiah left......

[biskitdaddy]

Haven't watched it since they fired Isiah Washington. Not only did he apologize, he took sensitivity classes and spoke to gay rights groups, the same groups that lent their support and asked the network not to fire him. Used to be a huge fan but since he was fired I haven't watched it and don't care to. Another thing, all the other actors on that show didn't have any comment on his remarks except Kathering Heigl who stated "he shouldn't be allowed to speak in public." What a no talent dimwit! Here movie "Knocked Up" was sooooo bad I slept through the whole thing; awful.

[Eric8869]

He didn't learn anything from the classes because to this day he doesn't think he did anything wrong.

He tries to blame the whole thing on TR Knight wanting a bigger role. Ridiculous.

If Patrick Dempsey or McSteamy had said the N word you would be singing a different tune.

[deeppeace]

1. Washington is irrelevant.
2. Isn't November a sweeps month?

[OBAMAthePRESIDENT]

He is not irrelevant. The fact is that Isaiah Washington was actually a better actor than Heigl & TR Knight. He had a greater presence and was amazing with Sandra OH!!
Heigl is so overrated and Knight has no range and is a total bore!

Also the argument was between Dempsey and Washington but someone leaked it to the media. This could have been settled between them.

[deeppeace]

Let me rephrase. Isaiah Washington has the same relevance to the world as the whole freakin' cast. Zero.

[Eric8869]

TR Knight was a Broadway star for acting before he ever was on Grey's Anatomy. Heigl has an emmy.

Sorry he doesn't compare. Don't try to slander others to cover up his homophobia.

[saintsfan2008]

Personally, I never liked the character she plays. I didn't like the character way before the lesbian story line started, even though I admit it was pretty silly at times (the whole show has sort of gotten silly).

[Chicago48]

I stopped watching Greys when George (?) started sleeping with Meredith and then Callie and then Heigl's character. It got to be ridiculous, esp. since in real life he was gay. Must have felt uncomfortable for him to play a hetero to all those women and then go home to a man at night, and he never looked comfortable in those scenes. Totally unbelievable.

[VeroucaSalt]

I think Washington is looking for a job.

[Chicago48]

He's an actor, they are ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A JOB.

[OBAMAthePRESIDENT]

The man has many jobs but he actually has other things he is involved with, way before Grey's and various charities.

For people who never knew, Washington is an amazing Philantropist and does a lot of work that he never gets credit for.

[Eric8869]

So if you give money to charity you can be homophobic I guess

[Eric8869]

Same justification people made for Don Imus

[Eric8869]

NBC had the low class to hire him immediately after he was fired from GA. But the Bionic Woman show tanked. KARMA

[dteg]

This used to be my show but I have not seen in a long time. Christiana and Burke was the best part for me. I really did not care to much about the off screen suff. It seemed pretty petty to be firing people considering you had a great show the first three seasons. Anyway I miss the old show and expecially Buke and Christinia chemistry on the show.

[BSERIUS]

another conundrum .....Did Isaiah vote for Prop 8?

[nastywolf]

I watch Grey's faithfully and the two characters I've longed to see disappear because they are terrible at their craft and act as a drag on the series were Smith & Thomas. Thank God for ANY reason to have gotten rid of them!

[unfettered]

Thanks for saving me the typing.They are both terrible and i don't even watch the show.

[JohnShank]

Which ones were Smith and Thomas?

[cmira004]

I just don't get the big outrage. It was a bad move bringing the character to Seattle Grace in the first place, and she had zero chemistry with Sara Ramirez. It stinks that someone lost her job, but Hahn was a snore and honestly, there's more chemistry between Dr. Torres's character and Dr. Sloan. It's palpable on-screen! She wasn't fired because she played a lesbian.

[VeroucaSalt]

I concur.

[ScandalousCandice3]

Yeah they were trying to give Hahn a pulse and they decided to jump on the bandwagon of every show on tv having to have a gay character. It didn't work at all. You are exactly right about the zero chemistry. Not to mention she is just a horrible character period.

[BlackJAC]

Jeez, can't a story arc simply not pan out like the writers originally hoped for without it turning into some grand politicized conspiracy?

[IndependentJones]

This is ridiculous. The producers of prime-time television shows are also the writers. It's absurd to think they would fire someone for playing the role they wrote for her.

[dollardream]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's like punishing the child after the mother tells him to go ahead and cross the street by himself. Seriously, do they think we are really that stupid? Good luck, Brooke.

[ScandalousCandice3]

Not if Disney wasn't aware of the character or they way they were going with the story line. If they didn't like it they could have made them axe her.

[BlackJAC]

That doesn't fly, since BROTHERS & SISTERS and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES have gay characters, too.

[auramac]

He's whack. Like he cares... revenge is- sour grapes.

[peachesmahoney]

The firing of Brooke Smith is more of the same from a show riddled with divas, unprofessionalism, and chaos. There is a joke here in Hollywood when an industry person takes a job on a less than glamourous production "Well it could be worse. At least its not Grey's Anatomy!"

[BlackJAC]

GREY'S ANATOMY in a nutshell:

Meredith: "I love you, Derek! I hate you, Derek! I love you, Derek!"
Yang: "Why won't they let me use the scalpel yet!?"
Izzie: "I'm just a big softie who cares too much."
Karev: "This macho image is just a facade for my caring too much."
Sloan: "I'm so cool, even the lesbians ask me for sex tips!"
George: "I'm likeable in a dopey kind of way."
Lexie: "Why doesn't anybody like me? Why won't George love me?"
Bailey: "Do some rounds NOW!"
Hahn: "Snarl snarl snarl--why won't Callie love me?"
The Chief: "Less melodrama, more making the hospital look good!"
Derek: "Somebody page Prince Charming?"

[jagoneely]

Now I'll never have to watch it, Thanks!

[VeroucaSalt]

Yep. That's GA, in a nutshell!

[JeanPaulSatire]

Very amusing! Here's my (similar) take on the show:

Meredith: "I can't commit to loving anyone."
Yang: "Why do people need love?"
Izzie: "I love everyone."
Karev: "I can't admit I need love."
Sloan: "Who needs love when there's sex?"
George: "I'm confused by love."
Lexie: "I want everyone to love me."
Bailey: "I'm angry at love."
Hahn: "I love lesbians."
Torres: "I love boy/girl sex too much to do just girl/girl sex."
The Chief: "I love my hospital"
Derek: "I'm madly in love with me and you should be, too."

[JeanPaulSatire]

Very amusing! Here's my (similar) take on the show:

Meredith: "I can't commit to loving anyone."
Yang: "Why do people need love?"
Izzie: "I love everyone."
Karev: "I can't admit I need love."
Sloan: "Who needs love when there's sex?"
George: "I'm confused by love."
Lexie: "I want everyone to love me."
Bailey: "I'm angry at love."
Hahn: "I love l*sbians."
Torres: "I love boy/girl sex too much to do just girl/girl sex."
The Chief: "I love my hospital"
Derek: "I'm madly in love with me and you should be, too."

[siney]

OMG, blackjac and jeanpaul -- you two are hilarious!!!! and the oscar for best screenplay goes to........jeanpaul!

[harriettubman]

I saw Isaiah's interview about the entire "f" word incident when he was on GA. It has been blown so out of proportion that I wonder what white gay rights group got him fired? I'm so glad I got a chance to hear the entire story and not what was just printed in the MSM. Mr. Mcknight never confirmed Isaiah's version either because he wanted the public to take pity on him. Puleeze.

An argument started between Isaiah and the McDreamy man. (can't think of his name), not Mcknight. And no Isaiah is not homophobic. The MSM made him out that way. To me, he was fired for no reason.

I see the white gay groups crawling out from everywhere and they seem just as prejudiced as their white heterosexual brethen. A group of black gays were just verbally attacked in CA due to the outcome of Prop 8. Like it was their fault. SMH...

[Eric8869]

I love how you say "white gay groups" - that says alot about your point of view. Last time I checked the gay groups have all colors represented.

GLAAD did reach out to Mr. Washington - he even did a PSA for them against homophobia but then WENT ON saying negative things and was fired. So gay groups didn't get him fired - it was his own mouth, lack of class and homophobia.

He was fired because he kept saying F A G even at the Emmy awards.

The black homophbic vote was not the only reason Prop 8 passed but it certainly didn't help.

[robXdion]

Ummm, maybe because they ARE white gay groups???

Do you prefer white GLBT groups? Is that better? Because they are known to be very racist against their fellow gay blacks. Fix your own face before you lecture others.

[harriettubman]

I said that because every time I hear something from a gay self interest group there are no people of color represented. Plus, just a few days ago in CA black gays were verbally attacked for no reason.

Isaiah was frustrated. If you hear the entire story you'll see that much of it was overblown. Give me a fricking break!

[harriettubman]

It wasn't black homophobes who voted against Prop 8, they were black, Latino and Mormon Christians. You can't tell someone to throw away 2,000 years of ancient history.

[starrianna]

Will someone please tell him to shut up?

No one cares, honey.