The speculation is over: After a controversial season, Isaiah Washington will not be returning to Grey's Anatomy, his rep and ABC Television Studio have confirmed.
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."
The quote is a reference to the 1976 film Network, but we doubt the actor was joking around. We also can't imagine what he means, however.
The cast was notified Thursday night of the final decision, which, says a source close to the situation, was a long time coming. In the end, the source says, Washington's behavior made him a liability.
As Grey's Anatomy followers know, rumors ran rampant following the season finale â" during which Washington's character, Dr. Preston Burke, broke up with his fiancée, Christina Yang (Sandra Oh), and moved out of their apartment â" that Washington would not be returning.
The actor first came under fire last fall after getting into an altercation with Patrick Dempsey, during which he allegedly referred to castmate T.R. Knight with a homophobic slur.
Washington later apologized, checked into rehab, met with gay leaders and recently released a PSA decrying the use of hate speech.
What do you think of the decision to let Washington walk? Visit our forums now and let us know.
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105 Comments
June 8th, 2007 6:40 AM
I think anyone who tries to choke a fellow employee should be fired. I know I would be in my job - immediately. I feel very sorry for IW in that this could ruin his career, but no one, absolutely no one, should still have his job after what he did.
June 8th, 2007 6:42 AM
RIDICULOUS
June 8th, 2007 6:45 AM
There is no Greys without him. THAT THE HELL IS HE THINKING?????
The team NEED him, he's freaking BURKE!!!!!
June 8th, 2007 6:45 AM
Yes his comment was uncalled for, but he is an integral part of the show. I don't know if I'm going to even watch the show next year. First they got rid of Addison and now Dr. Burke. This is absolutely rediculous!
June 8th, 2007 6:48 AM
I am a big fan of Grey's Anatomy and, every character that I have seen so far. They all bring their own spark to the show. I feel that letting Mr. Washington go at this point is a terrible mistake.Everyone has said or done something in their lifetime that they wish that they could erase. I loved his character and, I will miss him that is if I continue to watch.
June 8th, 2007 6:49 AM
The fact that he used the "F" word TWICE, and once during a LIVE televised event shows to me he doesnt care whose lives he affects. If it was TR, or PD, or any of the others who called him the "N" word, they would have been fired ON THE SPOT with no time to make amends. IW was lucky he was permitted to stay as long as he was. I for one will REALLY miss "Burke", but I will not miss IW.
June 8th, 2007 7:03 AM
I feel sorry for IW, but choking PD was a huge mistake on IW's side no matter who was at fault. True GA will not be the same without him, however, no outsider knows the real story of what exactly has been going on for the past 7 months and why the management have to make this huge decision of letting him go even though they know its going to have an impact on the show. Therefore, the way i see it, its much more than that..... I also think one way or the other Shonda and team can make it work without IW (since he is not coming back anyway).
June 8th, 2007 7:12 AM
As a Grey's fan, I am heartbroken that Dr. Burke won't be back. I love his character, and I think the show is really going to struggle some without his presence. That being said, I think that letting Isaiah Washington go was necessary, however difficult. He made the Grey's Anatomy set a hostile and rather uncomfortable place to work, at the very least for one person, but more like several, considering the press about it. It was good on a personal level that Isaiah tried to deal with it, and that he definitely learned from this experience, but the damage was already done on a professional standpoint. My opinion is that he was let go because of the reaction and the environmental tension that his behavior caused on a professional level were too much to repair.
June 8th, 2007 7:24 AM
I am not going to be watching the show without Addison or Burke either. This news is definately the breaking point. It's a shame, Thursdays used to be what I looked forward to. The whole show is going down the tube, the network really needed to keep all the characters that we were so strongly invested in to keep the show #1. He said something he shouldn't have? Who cares, we aren't firing people in politics for saying ignorant statements. This is so ridiculous!
June 8th, 2007 7:28 AM
wow....I have to say I'm really surprised.
Personally, I really think the whole thing was mishandled from the start. ABC & Shonda should have dealt with it when it happened in private. To me, the biggest part of the problem was that it drug on so long and there was so much peripheral fallout...the additional comment by IW at the awards show, and then allllll the unnecessary comments following.
Whether or not his comments were a firing offense is not for me to say....but remember, times are different - Don Imus recently got fired for a similarly derogatory comment.
I do hate to think about the show without him. He is a very talented actor, and created the character of Preston Burke.
All we know is what's been in the media - but as SSuzanne said - if I choked a co-worker, or even scuffled with them - I don't think I'd still have my job. And people are a lot more sensitive about how language is used. Not saying it's right or wrong, just that it's the environment we are in now.
Again - just my personal opinion - but if he was going to be fired, I think it should have happened at the time of the incident. I think ABC / Shonda is using the "IW is a liability" as a smokescreen for the bad writing that had drug down the show for the last half of the season.