The former Dr. Preston Burke on ABC’s hit series Grey’s Anatomy told the Houston Chronicle that T.R. Knight should have been fired from the show.
Washington was let go on June 7, just a month before filming for the new season was to begin. He has been slammed with negative publicity since October. That’s when he allegedly used an anti-gay slur during an on-set disagreement with co-star Patrick Dempsey.
The Houston native’s interviews with the media since then have been limited.
“I have to clear my name,” a determined Washington told the Houston Chronicle in a telephone interview from the set of his new movie, The Least of These. “I’ll start from the beginning. I’m telling everything. So here’s the truth.”
Washington said Knight, who plays Dr. George O’Malley, stirred up the notion that the slur was targeted at him and created a negative work environment. Washington also alleged that Knight likely wanted a salary increase and a more substantive role for his character.
Knight, who acknowledged that he was gay after the incident, told Ellen DeGeneres in January that Washington used the slur against him and that “everyone (on the set) heard it.”
“That’s a lie,” Washington said. “I used the word during a disagreement with Patrick. I apologized for that. We shook hands and went back to work.”
He said he is considering a lawsuit. “My livelihood, my honor and dignity and my name have been so challenged.”
Washington said his firing was a big disappointment.
“I was not fired for making homophobic slurs,” he said. “I did everything I said I would do. I offered to go to counseling, to do a public service announcement. I wanted everyone to know I was remorseful.”
Washington said he asked to be released from his contract last fall after the first incident, then again in January when he repeated the slur at the Golden Globes. His use of the word at the awards ceremony was taken out of context, he said. He was responding to a reporter’s question about whether he had used the slur.
He said he regrets that his actions overshadowed Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes’ win for best TV series drama.
Washington learned ABC would not renew his contract in a tearful call from Rhimes.
“That was a shock,” he said. “I did everything they told me to do, including not saying anything, and then they didn’t renew my contract. That’s not fair.”
ABC executives declined to comment Wednesday.
The 43-year-old Washington said this was the first negative incident in his 20 years in Hollywood.
He said he made three errors in judgment: “believing the cast of Grey’s Anatomy were like family; believing I had the freedom to express myself with family and that we could resolve our issues; and trusting ABC was going to take care of me.
“I’m not angry. I’m disappointed.”
Source: Houston Chronicle
July 7th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Issiah should stop trying to blame other people, accept the fact that he screwed up and move on. The disapointment crap is immature and getting old.
July 16th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
I really like Dr Preston Burke. I hope ABC can reconsider about fired him. Grey’s anatomy will never be same again if DR Preston Burke isn’t there. I want Dr Burke. Please reconsider
August 14th, 2007 at 10:56 pm
In a way i feel sorry for him, but to literally state “they fired the wrong guy” is unaccepatble. he is a phonomenal actor, and Burke, was one of the strongst, but if any of those allegations are true in the lest bit against mr. knight, then by all means the should have let him go, and they made the right decision
August 14th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
Regarding the Isaiah Washington / T.R. Knight Media Frenzy that was SHOVED down the throats of the viewing public, WHILE TRUE UNDERLYING ISSUES GO UNADDRESSED.
Isaiah Washington whose family history in this country is one of SLAVERY and Segregation and T.R. Knight a white, gay male are INDIVIDUALS who are members of groups who still face discrimination in this country. It would be remiss of me not to point out that one’s sexual orientation can be concealed while the color of one’s skin / ethnic features are in plain site for all to see and America is a country where at one time Lynching Blacks was the sport of the day.
It is an insult to my spiritual evolution as a fellow human being on this planet of EARTH that the MEDIA inundates me and others with Bull$hit words to try to get US to ponder a question of whether or not Isaiah Washington is homophobic – In my heart of hearts (deep in my soul), I KNOW that Isaiah Washington is NOT homophobic. What Isaiah (the INDIVIDUAL) MAY BE is a challenging personality to work with and/or get along with. He may have RAGE issues (go figure, a descendant of SLAVES with rage issues).
There are those who feel that YOU people (Blacks) should JUST GET OVER SLAVERY, it happened a long time ago, move on already. First, and foremost, each of US is an “INDIVIDUAL” who happens to be from Slave Ancestry in America. Most of US are still dealing with issues from Slavery and more recently “Segregation” and DON’T realize it. One cannot begin to address these issues if one does not know that there are issues and where they originate. The Comedian, Chris Rock said it best when he said, America, for Blacks, is like the uncle who pays your way through college, but RAPED you when you were younger. MOST would not tell someone who was RAPED to “Just Get Over It.” A guest from the Oprah Show UPDATED the old adage about “TIME” perfectly when she said, “Time alone does not heal anything, it is what is done in that time that makes the difference” – which are words that resonate in my soul.
It is further insulting, ridiculous, A TOTAL WASTE OF PRECIOUS TIME to have Isaiah Washington in therapy FOR what he said, may or may not have said about T.R. Knight’s sexual orientation and then to have him make what “I Felt” was a Ridiculous service announcement (BECAUSE OF ITS TIMING – on the heels of the “Gay slur MEDIA FRENZY”) at the end of one of Grey’s episodes. Yes, I believe that Isaiah would greatly benefit from therapy (as would ALL descendants of SLAVES in America) PROVIDED the “REAL” issues are being addressed instead of going to therapy “IN HOPES” of saving one’s job.
Isaiah most likely should have some form of therapy to deal with RAGE issues and/or to develop better life / work coping skills. In the office next door to Isaiah and his therapist should be T.R. Knight with his therapist dealing with T.R.’s issues surrounding his sexual orientation because T.R.’s “reaction” to Isaiah’s behavior is indicative of “ISSUES T.R. Needs to Address.”
I read somewhere someone’s wording to the effect that Isaiah as a black man “should know better” than to use a sexual slur, most likely having had racial slurs directed at him. What we as individuals should know / do know (Intellect) vs. How We Behave (Emotion) most often are light years apart, hence my use of the words “spiritual evolution as fellow human beings.” On a number of occasions I had to “remind” my sister (1 yr. younger than me) that I understand her pain (I can feel her pain); however, she can’t take it out on US (her siblings, her husband, her daughter) because each of us are dealing with our own “personal” life challenges and that WE (her siblings) came from the same “screwed-up” Parents she did.
America STOP THE INSANITY of forcing us to pretend we love/like each other and START PROMOTING getting along with one another in spite of our likes and/or dislikes – Respecting one another’s Right to Co-exist and Benefit EQUALLY from the opportunities that America offers.
The Non-Renewal of Contract / Firing of Isaiah Washington is sooooooo much bigger than the individual. The handling of the situation is a MAJOR SETBACK to race relations in this country. This situation reeks of “OLD, Backwards Thinking” America trying to keep a black man down – keeping him in his place, after all can’t allow him to think he’s equal to a “White” man in America.
NO, Isaiah Washington SHOULD NOT have been fired. Nor should T.R. Knight for the “role” he played in this debacle (he is EQUALLY responsible along with Isaiah for this situation). They should both have been reprimanded and required to attend “REAL” (genuine) therapy sessions. THE ONLY FIRING needed is to “Line the MEDIA up against a wall” and have a FIRING SQUAD unload a Million Rounds of Ammunition into their Low-Life human forms.
At the first sign of friction amongst the diverse cast members it would have BENEFITTED America as a whole to bring in a Therapist / Relationship Expert to address “core” issues before the “Parasitic” MEDIA could get wind of “trouble” on the set.
With the absence of Isaiah, I have NO interest in Grey’s Anatomy and I will no longer watch the show. SHAME ON Any and ALL individuals who played a part in the firing of Isaiah Washington – UNDO THIS ! ! !
I hope my “words are received” in the spirit in which they are intended – Honest, Respectful, America RACE discussion.