Isaiah Washington Gives Statment....In Third Person

I hate when people talk like this. So damn annoying. I'm glad he got the boot.....arrogant s.o.b.

"I can only apologize so many times," Isaiah said. "I can only accept so much responsibility. All the players involved have taken care of what we needed to take care of in-house – and the media took it in a different direction. I hope that everyone is happy for the outcome for Isaiah, but Isaiah will go on and do what I love to do."

No More Dr Burke!

Isaiah Washington has been fired from Grey's Anatomy. The suspense has ended.

I guess that final scene of the Grey's Season finale was true in two senses - Dr Burke will not be returning and neither will Isaiah Washington!

Howard Bragman, Washington's publicist, says Washington's option was not renewed, and released this statement from the actor: "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more." Bragman did not elaborate on the statement, a reference to the 1976 film Network.

That's too bad. I always liked the character of Dr Burke, although I was never able to look at him the same way after the "incident" with T.R. Knight.

George Will Be Back!

Good news George O'Malley fans! Entertainment Weekly is reporting that T.R. Knight has agreed to a new contract to stay put on Grey's Anatomy next year!

"According to one insider close to the negotiation, Knight has agreed to a new contract that will boost his per-episode salary to roughly $125,000 and give him
a small piece of the show profits (pay hikes and profit points were also granted to many of Knight's co-stars, including Patrick Dempsey, Ellen Pompeo, and Sandra Oh)."

But what about trouble maker Isaiah Washington?

"Still up in the air: the fate of Washington, whose character, the arrogant Preston Burke, appeared to flee Seattle in the finale. That said, the same insider hints that Washington will be back as a series regular (though without the boost in pay rewarded to his co-stars)."

In other Grey's news, Patrick Dempsey told MSNBC that he wasn't all that into the depressing season,

"I would love for Derek and Meredith to have a healthy relationship. It got a little too depressing last year."

Ellen Pomeo agrees,

"I don't think you need sadness to have drama."

Wow. They are really speaking their mind about the show. Don't bite the hand that feeds you, kids!

Isaiah Washington Out?

Yesterday we told you that T.R. Knight, who plays George on Grey's Anatomy, is still waiting to find out if he will be back next season. Today, US Magazine is reporting that trouble maker Isaiah Washington will not be back. Still in hot water after using a slur toward T.R., US is quoting a 'source close to ABC',

"He will not be back as a series regular. He could possibly show up for a few episodes" next season.

However, Washington's rep disputes the report saying,

"Isaiah is not off the show. We do not have a contract yet, but we expect to."

So, they don't have a contract so they don't know for sure, but they are not disputing the idea of Washington possibly only doing a few guest spots. That solution makes sense to me given how the season finale had his character leave Christina at the alter and cleared out of their apartment.
US goes on to quote a 'Grey's source' saying,

"The cast - especially the women - just don't like him."

Hmmm, that's a pretty big statement. Katherine Heigl has made her feelings clear, but I'm not sure I'm willing to believe that no one likes him. Although, he did make an ass out of himself so anything is possible.

Is He Or Isn't He??

We are all dying to know if T.R. Knight will be back as lovable George next season on Grey's Anatomy. Apparently we are not the only ones being kept in the dark. T.R. tells Access Hollywood that he doesn't even know!

"I literally don't know. It would be nice to know if I'm supposed to report back soon. If you're supposed to report back to work in a month and a half, I would really like to know that because I would like to know if I can shave my head."

I would think that they would keep him on for sure. Isaiah Washington, on the other hand, is probably out...no pun intended.

Katherine Doesn't Like Her Dirty Laundry Aired

Katherine Heigle is a bit upset with her bosses over at Touchstone for going public about the contract negotiations. After reports came out that Heigl had dropped out of contract talks, Touchstone responded by saying,
"We have a long term contract to ensure she'll be with the show for several years to come." Also in the statement, they said they offered her a "significantly higher pay package."
Now, People reports that Heigle is coming out with a statement of her own.

"I am embarrassed that this has become a public matter and disappointed that Touchstone felt it necessary to divulge private employment information," Heigl, 28, said in a statement Thursday. "I had hoped I would be able to deal with this issue confidentially with my bosses. I dropped out of the renegotiation simply because I wanted to treat myself with the respect I was not getting from them. No matter how unhappy I am about their decision to respond to this publicly, I continue to be passionate about and committed to this character."

Well, the good news is that Izzy isn't going anywhere! It's a shame to hear that there is so much trouble over there in Grey's land though. Between this and the Isaiah mess, I just hope they all stick it out and keep churning out fantastic shows.

Links of the Day

Jennifer Aniston speaks with PEOPLE about her nose and her upcoming role in DIRT. PEOPLE

Creator of "I Dream of Jeanie" and best selling author, Sidney Sheldon, dies at 89. CNN

Isaiah Washington to return to Grey's Anatomy set on Thursday. PEOPLE

Isaiah Washington Hates Everybody Equally

Isaiah Washington is just not anti-gay, he's angry with everyone Rush & Molloy reports. Washington is in a 30 day anger management program, after calling fellow Grey's cast member TR Knight a "faggot".

Veteran stage actress Madeline McCray was there when, a source says, Washington punched out a fellow actor who was - like Washington - straight and African-American. At the time, McCray and Washington were starring in August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Fences". Isaiah's not anti-gay; he's a hothead," McCray told us. "It's that his anger leads him to say and do things he wishes he hadn't - to everybody. He's always had a lack of control over his temper.

Good luck Isaiah. You've got even more to lose now that Grey's Anatomy has won a SAG Award for best ensemble cast. It's probably just as hard to give up drinking as it is to stop punching out everyone that irritates you. You can't even say "the drink made me do it".

T.R. Knight to Leave Grey's?

MSN's The Scoop, is reporting that T.R. Knight who plays Dr. George O'Malley on Grey's Anatomy is leaving the show. Siting an insider:
"He was told not to say anything about the whole incident." Referring to the original incident in October when Isaiah Washington used a homophobic slur towards T.R.

“He kept his word, but then the whole thing blew up again at the Golden Globes, and when he was asked about it, he basically called Isaiah a liar,” says the source. “He feels that the atmosphere there is so toxic and unhealthy. I suppose things could change and we would stay, but for now, he’s planning to leave the show.”

Knight's spokeswoman told The Scoop "we're not commenting on that." Then later called back to say the story was "completely, one thousand percent false." A rep for ABC also said that "rumors of T.R. Knight's departure from the show are irrefutable untrue."

I really hope this is just gossip because T.R. Knight is fantastic on Grey's. If anyone leaves, it should be Isaiah. Maybe he'll change after rehab, assuming he doesn't pull a Lindsey and leave every other day. At least Isaiah seems ot have one castmate on his side. Chandra Wilson gave him a bit of a shout out last night at the SAG Awards when she accepted her award for best female actor in a drama:

"It's about those 10 cast members sitting over there and the other one in rehab. Y'all just hold me together."

Isaiah Washington Enters Rehab!!! What?!

Life and Style Magazine is reporting that Isaiah Washington, Dr Preston Burke on Grey's Anatomy, entered a rehab facility at 9:00am this morning. He had previously undergone psychological assessment at the request of ABC after making homophobic remarks. We have previously talked about the incidents here, here and here. Washington made homophobic remarks about cast member T.R. Knight last year and then again at the Golden Globes last week. Apparently he has entered rehab voluntarily.

According to an insider, Isaiah, who issued an apology for his statements on
Jan. 18, agreed to undergo a psychological assessment after talks with ABC
executives.
"ABC has told him he must enter a program to examine why he
would say such hateful words," the insider says.

This is a huge shock to me. Not only am I amazed that there is rehab for making homophobic remarks and then not really being sorry about it until it looks like you are going to lose your fantastic job on the number one TV show in the land, but that Washington actually agreed to go there. There must have been some unreal conversations going on over at ABC. I hope Washington is able to get some help for his obvious homophobia, but I don't really care whether he gets to keep his job. After all the recent incidents, last week when I watched Grey's I just didn't feel the same way about Dr Preston Burke as I used to, because I know what the actor underneath really thinks. That's a sad state of affairs.

I wonder if he's going to be in the room next door to Lindsay, that is if she ever stays in rehab for more than a few hours.

Isaiah Washingon Apologizes

Isaiah Washington can feel the walls closing in on him! After his outburst at the Golden Globes Monday night, GLADD demanded an apology ''Washington's repeated use of (the slur) on-set and in the media is simply inexcusable,'' president Neil Giuliano said in a statement. In addition to GLADD, ABC issued a statement addressing the issue yesterday. As a result of these and most likely pressure from Grey's Anatomy creator Shondra Rimes, Washington has issued an apology today:

''I apologize to T.R., my colleagues, the fans of the show, and especially the lesbian and gay community for using a word that is unacceptable in any context or circumstance. By repeating the word Monday night, I marred what should have been a perfect night for everyone who works on Grey's Anatomy. I can neither defend nor explain my behavior. I can also no longer deny to myself that there are issues I obviously need to examine within my own soul, and I've asked for help.

''I know the power of words, especially those that demean. I realize that by using one filled with disrespect I have hurt more than T.R. and my colleagues. With one word, I've hurt everyone who has struggled for the respect so many of us take for granted. I welcome the chance to meet with leaders of the gay and lesbian community to apologize in person and to talk about what I can do to heal the wounds I've opened.

''T.R.'s courage throughout this entire episode speaks to his tremendous character. I hold his talent, and T.R. as a person, in high esteem. I know a mere apology will not end this, and I intend to let my future actions prove my sincerity.''

Do you believe it? How did you feel watching him on Grey's last night? I don't know how much stock I put in this apology. I believe he is simply trying to save his own ass and keep his job. It was difficult for me to watch him last night. My feelings about him and the character he plays has totally changed and I am willing to bet that I am not the only fan that feels this way. Will they write off Dr. Burke?

Isaiah Washington UPDATE

ABC has released a statement first reported by TV Guide regarding the Isaiah Washington debacle. It reads:

"We have a long standing policy to create and maintain respectful workplaces for all our employees. We dealt with the original situation in October, and thought the issue resolved. Therefore, we are greatly dismayed that Mr. Washington chose to use such inappropriate language at the Golden Globes, that he himself deemed 'unfortunate' in his previous public apology. We take this situation very seriously, and his actions are unacceptable and are being addressed."

I sense a little shake down happening on the Grey's Anatomy set soon. Too bad he had to go and be such a homophobic ass because that Dr. Burke was a pretty good character!

Trouble in Grey's Anatomy Land

You know how when you are so mad that you almost cry and then the fact that you are going to cry about it makes you almost cry even more? That was Katherine Heigl when she spoke to Access Hollywood Tuesday night. Heigl blasted her Grey's Anatomy co-star Isaiah Washington after his outburst at the Golden Globes Monday. In the press room, Washington for some reason decided to try and defend himself against reports that he used a homophobic slur towards c0-star T.R. Knight. After a reporter questioned the cast about the fight, Washington blurted out:

"No, I did not call T.R. a faggot. Never happened. Never happened."

Heigl spoke out against Washington on Tuesday night stating:

"I'm going to be really honest right now, he needs to just not speak in public. I'm sorry, that did not need to be said, I'm not ok with it."

Heigl also made it clear that her loyalties are firmly with Knight stating:

"I don't think he [Washington] means it the way he comes off. But, T.R. 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."

Yikes. It certainly looks like this story is not going away anytime soon and the bitch of it is that if Isaiah Washington would have just kept his mouth shut at the Globes, it would have; in the public eye anyway. Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes and the producers have a lot of work ahead of them to spin this one right. Look out Washington, you may just get written off the show.