T. R. Knight
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They're definitely best friends, whether they're portraying interns at Seattle Grace or hanging out in real life (or bringing each other the occasional new puppy).

So it's only fitting that T.R. Knight presented Katherine Heigl with the "Superstar of Tomorrow" award at Movieline's Young Hollywood Awards this past Sunday.

This is possibly the cutest picture of the two of them ever. We're always glad to see Grey's Anatomy stars recognized for their accomplishments, and think it's even better when they can present them to one another.

Congratulations to Katherine!

Months after the Isaiah Washington incident at the Golden Globe Awards, which sparked massive controversy and landed the star in turmoil, everything seems to be going well for the cast of Grey's Anatomy.

Access Hollywood sat down with T.R. Knight, the subject of Isaiah Washington's homophobic remark, for which he later apologized and sought counseling.

With that in mind, reporter Shaun Robinson asked T.R. Knight direct questions about how it's really going behind the scenes.

Saturday evening at the 18th Annual GLAAD Awards in Hollywood, Knight spoke with Robinson exclusively. When asked about how things are on the set of Grey's Anatomy, Knight said:

"We have about 20 days left, not that I'm counting... It's going to be nice to have two months away, you know. I think everyone's looking forward to it."

When Robinson asked if the break from work would finally give Knight time to reflect over the entire season, he replied, "Yeah, to learn from it. Grow. That's the hope; that's my hope."

In talking about whether or not the cast has reached a point of healing and unity, Knight said, "I don't know. We're showing up and doing our work ... There's a lot of work to be done so that's my focus."

When asked how he would work on the process of healing the relationship between he and co-star Washington, Knight said, "I just focus on doing the work. That's my job; that's what I'm paid for; and I think that's enough."

Knight also attributed his upbringing to the way he reacted to the public situation and what he hopes others take from his experience.

"I think a lot of coming from New York to Los Angeles and being on the TV show is, if you're more private, kind of a lot to take in. Growing up, you wanted to just see yourself. When we saw ourselves put in bad light or made fun of, of course, it didn't feel well. Kids growing up see more and more of themselves... I think that has to be a good thing," he said.

A gangly black puppy selected from a Nebraska dog shelter is now living in Los Angeles - with lucky new owner and actor, T.R. Knight of Grey's Anatomy.

According to the Omaha World-Herald, Ebony, a 7-month-old mixed breed who had been found in Lincoln, Neb., is the lucky pup.

The dog "looks a lot Labrador," said Carol Wheeler, one of the directors of the Hearts United for Animals shelter near Auburn, Neb., about 60 miles south of Omaha.

Wheeler said Wednesday that Knight's co-star, Katherine Heigl, and her family help support the no-kill shelter, and that Heigl's father had already given one of the shelter's 200-plus dogs a new home.

When Katherine Heigl decided a pooch would be the perfect birthday present for T.R. Knight, she contacted the shelter, which e-mailed information and photos of several current residents.

Ebony - spayed, bathed and sporting a pink collar - was flown out to L.A. Tuesday and, according to Heigl's mother, "had no accidents on the way."

Nancy Heigl lives in Southern California, Wheeler said, and often exchanges e-mails with Wheeler about the shelter.

Nancy told Wheeler that Knight, the Grey's Anatomy star who turned 34 on March 26, was surprised and thrilled by the gift.

"They all went out to dinner at an outside cafe," Wheeler said, "and Ebony sat right by T.R. all the time."

"I think they've gotten off to a good start," she said.

Up next for the pup? Obedience training - a gift from Nancy Heigl!

We hope you forgive us for briefly indulging in some frivolous gossip. We just found this tidbit too funny not to share.

The New York Post reports that T.R. Knight and two other members of the Grey's Anatomy cast had a bit of a run-in with Diddy and his security detail at the Rolling Stone and Justin Timberlake-led pre-Grammy Awards party.

The gist: Diddy's security team told them to move for his royal highness after he showed up late. And it didn't go well.

"Puffy was supposed to sit in the same VIP area that had four tables - two were for him and two were for the Grey's Anatomy cast. But he was very, very late, and there are a lot of cast members, so T.R. Knight, Kate Walsh and Sara Ramirez were at a table set up for Puffy."

Diddy's bodyguard then got pushy.

"This guy goes up to T.R. Knight, Kate and Sara and started demanding - 'Get out! Get out now! Move it!' - T.R. was furious," says a New York Post spy, who was also in the VIP section.

Knight and the rap mogul once known as Sean Combs then exchanged heated words before the cast was led to another table.

Hey, you can't let yourself get pushed around, no matter how big the guy's entourage is. Hopefully, T.R. and his fellow Grey's Anatomy stars never develop egos that large.

T.R. Knight is not quitting the show.

We repeat: T.R. Knight is not leaving Grey's Anatomy.

Kristin Veitch, E! Online columnist and trusted source, sets the record straight regarding this rumor in her column. For those of you who missed it, a person claiming to know someone on the Grey's Anatomy catering staff claimed T.R. was so upset over ABC's handling of Isaiahgate that he was planning on quitting the hit show.

Not the case.

Reliable sources connected to the show, as well as T.R. Knight's personal publicist and the show's ABC rep, all state unequivocally that T.R. is staying on the show. In fact, ABC "irrefutably denies" it - language that would not be used if there were even a slight chance of him leaving Grey's Anatomy.

Hopefully, T.R., Isaiah Washington and the rest of the staff can move on from the incident that has marred the show over the past few weeks and get back to what matters most - collaborating on TV's best drama.

T.R. Knight says that hearing Isaiah Washington call him a "faggot" on the set of Grey's Anatomy gave him the courage to come out of the closet - and that he's speechless that Washington on Monday denied using the word.

In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, which aired on her talk show today, Knight says something changed inside him when he overheard an argument in October between Washington and Grey's Anatomy co-star Patrick Dempsey during which Washington used the slur.

"It's an awesome word, isn't it?" the actor told DeGeneres sarcastically. "I've never been called that to my face. So I think when that happened, something shifted, and it became bigger than myself."

Shortly after the on-set dustup, Knight confirmed he is gay - the kind of public announcement he says isn't his style, but he felt was necessary.

"I was under no delusions," he said. "My friends on the set knew. We talked about it. Publicly, it's not my thing to call up People magazine and be like, 'Hey, you want to know something about me?' I could've just let it slide and not said anything, but it became important. It became important to make the statement."

In the Golden Globe Awards press room on Monday night, after Grey's Anatomy won Best TV Drama, Washington dubiously fielded a question from a reporter about the incident and denied using the slur, which rekindled interest in what could have remained a dead issue.

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

But Knight told another story to Ellen DeGeneres.

The talk show host said, "And then the other night at the Golden Globes, I guess Isaiah Washington is starting up the whole thing up again which is kind of crazy..."

"Yeah, he denied that he said it (faggot)," Knight said, "and I don't know what to say about it. But it's pretty bad."

Washington's denial also infuriated Grey's Anatomy cast member Katherine Heigl, who reproached her co-star during an interview Monday.

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

In today's interview, T.R. Knight also thanked DeGeneres for her courage in coming out as a lesbian 10 years ago.

"It just made all the difference in the world," he said.

It's the feud that wouldn't die.

Much as we would love to stop writing about this incident, the parties involved (and, to some extent, the mainstream media) make it impossible to ignore.

That's right, as many fans already know, there's trouble brewing among the cast of Grey's Anatomy. Again. And this time, another cast member - Katherine Heigl - is in the fray, albeit voluntarily.

At the Golden Globe Awards Monday, Heigl slammed co-star Isaiah Washington for using a slur regarding fellow cast member T.R. Knight, who he was denying using said slur against in the first place.

At issue was a statement Isaiah Washington made in the Golden Globes press room when he was asked about the alleged on-set incident between himself and Knight last fall, which preceded Knight's public coming out.

"No, I did not call T.R. a faggot," he said, according to Access Hollywood. "Never happened, never happened."

Heigl, who is close friends with T.R. Knight, criticized Washington's statement.

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

Asked if Knight's feelings were hurt by the comment, she said: "I don't see how you could not be under those circumstances."

Heigl, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Grey's Anatomy was named Best TV Drama), added that she didn't know exactly what to make of the comment, but hoped the cast would work through the incident like a family.

"I have no idea what it was, I just find it hurtful... I just feel like this is something that should be very much in house we need to deal with and it's among us, the cast and crew and among Shonda Rhimes (the show's creator) and the producers," she said.

Still, she was adamant that she'd stand up for Knight anytime.

"I don't think [Washington] meant it the way it came 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," she said.

For his part, Washington continued to address questions about the alleged on-set incident, later telling Access Hollywood:

"There is no way I could do anything so vile, and so horrible, not only to a castmate, but to a fellow human being. It did not happen. The reports were all wrong... I'm very disappointed that the New York Post actually wrote legitimately about something that was put in a tabloid about some angry person to get some validity to this, and then it just rippled."

He also said that he has completely made up with fellow co-star Patrick Dempsey after a scuffle prompted the alleged remark about Knight.

"I kiss Patrick Dempsey," said Washington. "We sing 'Ebony and Ivory' every day since the so-called incident and it hasn't come up."

The Insider has learned that T.R. Knight, who plays Dr. George O'Malley, will be appearing on the Ellen DeGeneres Show tomorrow, January 17.

It will be interesting to see a sit-down interview with Knight, who is one of the Grey's Anatomy cast members about whom relatively little is known.

A stage actor before appearing on the hit series, and a man who maintains a low profile, the 33-year-old Minnesota native admitted he is gay last fall - stating that he hopes that isn't seen as the most important part of him. It's not, and this interview with Ellen will hopefully enable fans to find out a lot more about this talented performer.

Two weeks ago, as we all know by now, T.R. Knight, one of the stars of Grey's Anatomy, one of the most popular shows on television, came out of the closet publicly to People magazine.

Knight's admission comes after, in his words, "a few questions about my sexuality." In a well-worded and brief press release, Knight (with Patrick Dempsey, left) added, "I hope the fact that I'm gay isn't the most interesting part of me."

Jordan Bartel of the Carroll County Times was happy Knight worded it in that way. In fact, there is no better way to say it. The sad fact is, though, and surely part of Knight realizes this, that now people will think that is the most interesting part of him.

Now, as in the case of whenever stars come out of the closet, people will forever focus on that aspect of their lives. The whole "publicly confirming that I'm gay" situation seems to be something that shouldn't ever happen.

Here's why: It's simply not news. It's simply not anyone's business. It's simply something that just shouldn't be an issue.

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We've done our best to refrain from speculating as to what role, if any, Isaiah Washington's fight with Patrick Dempsey earlier this month had in the decision by T.R. Knight to publicly announce his homosexuality last week.

Our position has been that until the producers or one of the actors themselves comes forward regarding the incident, there's too little credible information to comment on.

We may get the scoop tomorrow, however. Sources tell us Isaiah will be appearing on the Ellen DeGeneres Show at 9 a.m. to address the rumors of him being replaced (denied by ABC and sources close to the show) and the fight between him and Dempsey.

It's great that he's going on the program to clear the air. His name has been dragged through the mud over the past week, with many media outlets disparaging him based on mere rumors. It will be good to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. Then, hopefully, Knight and the rest of us can move on.