Patrick Dempsey’s wife, Jill Fink, is in labor! From Patrick’s racing partner:
Our partner and friend, Mr. Dempsey, I’m getting a lot of questions about him and his whereabouts. He’s looking at things online right now and is already, I’m sure, he’s jumping up and down…. and anxiously awaiting the birth of his twin boys, which is going to be sometime in the 18-24 hours from the look of things. He sends his regards to everyone in the press as well.
Expensive car? Check! Cool shades? Check! Perfect features? Double check! Looking decidedly McDreamy, Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey revs up on Thursday for the big weekend ahead. He and the rest of the Grey’s Anatomy cast are nominated for an ensemble SAG Award, which will be handed out on Sunday.
Grey’s Anatomy creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes just released the following statement regarding Isaiah Washington:
“I speak for all the executive producers here at Grey’s Anatomy when I say that Isaiah Washington’s use of such a disturbing word was a shocking and dismaying event that insulted not only gays and lesbians everywhere but anyone who has ever struggled for respect in a world that is not always accepting of difference.
We’ve been working within the Grey’s family as well as with ABC and Touchstone Television to address the issue in a way that underscores the gravity of the situation while giving us all a foundation for healing. We applaud and encourage Isaiah’s realization that he needs help and his subsequent choice to seek immediate treatment for his behavioral issues.
We appreciate the support the fans have always given our show, particularly during this stressful time. Creatively, we continue to strive to make the best television we can with the hope that our show reflects the talent, hard work and professionalism of our cast and crew.”
Grey’s Anatomy star Isaiah Washington has entered a residential treatment facility in an effort to quell the controversy surrounding his anti-gay remarks — and save his job, Life & Style has learned exclusively.
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.
The married 43-year-old father of three was spotted entering the facility at 9 a.m. today (Jan. 24).
And in a statement released today, Isaiah, confirms this saying, “With the support of my family and friends, I have begun counseling. I regard this as a necessary step toward understanding why I did what I did and making sure it never happens again. I appreciate the fact that I have been given this opportunity and I remain committed to transforming my negative actions into positive results, personally and professionally.”
Isaiah, who plays Dr. Preston Burke on the show, became embroiled in controversy for making a homophobic remark about Grey’s castmate T.R. Knight during an on-set argument last fall. (T.R., 33, publicly announced that he is gay after the incident.) The controversy reignited after the Jan. 15 Golden Globe Awards, at which Isaiah denied ever making the comment — but used the anti-gay slur in his denial.
“ABC has told him he must enter a program to examine why he would say such hateful words,” the insider says.
Meanwhile, during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Jan. 17, T.R. confirmed what Isaiah had said last fall — and expressed surprise at his co-star’s attempted denial.
Isaiah issued his apology the next day, saying, “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.”
Isaiah’s cast mates have been vocal about the controversy. “I feel really sad,” Kate Walsh has said. “I just trust that our show will deal with it in the way it sees fit.”
Katherine Heigl called the situation “tense,” adding, “I think it’ll work out and I’m hopeful that it’s handled properly.”
Reps for Isaiah and ABC were not immediately available for comment.
Isaiah Washington of Grey’s Anatomy, who apologized for using a gay slur at the Golden Globes, met Monday with gay and lesbian organization leaders and “acknowledged the harm he caused,” the groups said in a statement.
“Isaiah understands that he is going to be judged by more than just his apology,” Neil G. Giuliano, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said in the statement. “He knows that his future actions, including the genuine first step that today’s meeting represents, will demonstrate his sincerity in becoming part of the solution to anti-gay bigotry.”
Kevin Jennings, founder of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, was also in the meeting with the actor. He said his group is “hopeful that Isaiah Washington has come to a deeper understanding of the power of words.”
He added: “As a parent himself, Isaiah Washington seemed to particularly appreciate the impact these words have on young people.”
Gay advocacy groups called for an apology and the meeting after Washington told reporters at the Globes that he never called gay co-star T.R. Knight a “faggot” last year. Knight has said that Washington did use the slur.
Washington apologized last week, saying he could “neither defend nor explain” his behavior and acknowledging “there are issues I obviously need to examine within my own soul.”
Justin Chambers of Grey’s Anatomy said Monday that the players in the show’s off-screen controversy over Isaiah Washington’s use of a gay slur are continuing to work out their problems – and that it’s a shame the spat has distracted from the program’s accomplishments.
Asked by Barbara Walters on The View how things were going over at the ABC show, Chambers replied, “That’s the question right now. It’s an unfortunate situation. They’re trying to work it out.”
Chambers, 36, who plays Dr. Alex Karev, said the pall that’s been cast over the show is particularly unfortunate considering the creative accolades it’s earned. “We won the Golden Globe, and it’s kind of overshadowed that fact – and the fact that it’s such a large cast, that we work a lot of hours and we get along really well,” he said.
Kate Walsh, who also stars on Grey’s, tells Extra she is hopeful the show’s cast and crew can eventually get past the situation. “I feel really sad…I’m just saying my prayers,” she said at the Sundance Film Festival. “I don�t know what is going to happen…I just trust that our show will deal with it in the way that they see fit.”
The off-screen saga began in October, when costars Washington and Patrick Dempsey got into a fight on the set, and Washington allegedly used a gay slur to refer to another costar, T.R. Knight. Washington then fanned the flames at the Golden Globes by repeating the word, though he later apologized.
On a lighter topic, Chambers, who has five children with wife Keisha, told The View’s co-hosts that he’d given some advice to Dempsey, whose wife Jillian is expecting twins sons this winter.
His words of wisdom? “Strap yourself in, get ready.”
Under fire by his bosses at ABC and gay leaders, Grey’s Anatomy star Isaiah Washington apologized Thursday for what he called his “unacceptable in any context” comments about gay costar T.R. Knight on Golden Globes night.
“I can neither defend nor explain my behavior,” Washington said in a statement. “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.”
Apologizing to “T.R., my colleagues, the fans of the show and especially the lesbian and gay community,” Washington said he “marred what should have been a perfect night” for Grey’s Anatomy and hurt both Knight and “everyone who has struggled for the respect so many of us take for granted.
“T.R.’s courage throughout this entire episode speaks to his tremendous character,” Washington said. “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.”
Washington, who plays Dr. Preston Burke on the hit ABC show, denied in the pressroom at the Golden Globes on Monday that he ever used a gay slur in reference to Knight. “No, I did not call T.R. a faggot,” said Washington. “Never happened, never happened.”
But during an appearance Wednesday on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Knight said that Washington did use the word during an on-set argument with costar Patrick Dempsey in October.
“He referred to me as a faggot,” he told DeGeneres. “Everyone heard it.”
ABC brass have released a statement saying that they are “dismayed” by comments Grey’s Anatomy star Isaiah Washington made at the Golden Globe Awards earlier this week.
At a Golden Globes press conference on Monday, Washington used the word “faggot” in response to a reporter’s question about a homophobic slur he made towards costar T.R. Knight on the set of Grey’s last October.
“I did not call T.R. a faggot,” he told reporters in the pressroom on Monday. “Never happened, never happened.”
ABC has released the following statement regarding Washington’s remarks:
“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.”
Justin Chambers of Grey’s Anatomy said Monday that the players in the show’s off-screen controversy over Isaiah Washington’s use of a gay slur are continuing to work out their problems – and that it’s a shame the spat has distracted from the program’s accomplishments.
Under fire by his bosses at ABC and gay leaders, Grey’s Anatomy star Isaiah Washington apologized Thursday for what he called his “unacceptable in any context” comments about gay costar T.R. Knight on Golden Globes night.