Isaiah Washington got candid about his brief comeback in Grey’s Anatomy, which he credited to Sandra Oh. He was a recurring character in the series throughout its first three seasons but infamously left the show after season 3, only to come back for one episode in season 10. Isaiah Washington, who played Dr. Preston Burke in Grey’s Anatomy, was fired from the series in July 2007.
On Wednesday, April 23, 2025, the actor replied to a fan who said that they hated it when he left the show because he and Sandra Oh had an amazing chemistry. Washington wrote how his former co-star orchestrated and fought for his brief return to the series on its 10th season, saying:
“Sandra Oh was the key to getting me to come back in 2014. She refused to leave the show without my return and she won that battle. I love me some Sandra Oh!”
Washington’s axing from the show happened after his altercation with co-stars Patrick Dempsey and T.R. Knight on set in 2006, where Washington reportedly used the “f” homophobic slur referencing Knight. At some point, the controversy made the show’s creator, Shonda Rhimes, think that it would be the end of the series.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, published on March 19, 2025, Rhimes recalled the Isaiah Washington incident on the set of the medical drama, saying:
“I mean, that was the thing we thought was going to kill the show. And it’s funny, every Grey’s actor I talk to who was there during that time is still traumatized by that incident.”
She considered the controversy a “thorn” in Grey’s Anatomy‘s history, adding that people still talk about what happened.
“Disney f**ked over me”: Isaiah Washington recalls getting fired from Grey’s Anatomy
In a series of posts on X on April 23, 2025, about his time on Grey’s Anatomy, Isaiah Washington opened up about a couple of things. Besides sharing appreciation for his former co-star Sandra Oh for championing his brief return in the series, he also alleged how Disney f**ked him over at the time, but not for reasons other people may have thought. He wrote:
“Disney didn’t f**k over me and blacklist me because I was Black, Disney f**ked over me and blacklisted me because I was ‘stupid’ enough not to press charges of assault against Patrick Dempsey and wanted to tell the truth about what really happened on the set.”
He also alleged that if he had pressed charges against Dempsey at the time, Disney would have to pay him millions.
Meanwhile, in another post, Isaiah Washington recalled his brief return in Grey’s Anatomy season 10, claiming that Shonda Rhimes told him that she was “so disgusted” by Dempsey’s behavior and Katie Heigl and T.R. Knight’s lies. He also alleged that Rhimes told him that she would “NEVER” write for them again and that the series creator reportedly kept her word to Washington.
Meanwhile, for fans asking about where they can read the truth about the scandal, Washington directed them to an article by Kim Clayton Hershman, whom he claimed was his whistleblower who was also reportedly blacklisted after trying to expose Disney.
After Grey’s Anatomy, Isaiah Washington went on to star in The 100 and appeared in shows like Blue Bloods, Bull, and Survivor’s Remorse.
alt=”Kinette Sumadia” height=”72″ width=”72″>
Edited by Kinette Sumadia
