Inside the Isaiah Washington Slur Controversy That Still Haunts ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Cast

A physical altercation and a homophobic slur nearly derailed "Grey's Anatomy" during its breakout third season. Nearly two decades later, the fallout between Isaiah Washington and T.R. Knight still lingers over the show's legacy.

"Grey's Anatomy" has graced screens for more than two decades, delivering fans some of the most gripping medical drama television has ever produced. Still airing today after a staggering 22 seasons, the show has picked up four Primetime Emmys among numerous other accolades.

But before its star power was fully realized, the series faced a major setback. Former "Grey's Anatomy" actor Isaiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey, who remained on the show until season 18, got into a physical altercation while filming season three in October 2006.

It was during that confrontation that Washington allegedly used a homophobic slur against co-star T.R. Knight. Word of the incident spread quickly, with gossip outlets soon reporting the exact language he used.

The intense backlash that followed pushed Washington to issue a formal apology.

"I sincerely regret my actions and the unfortunate use of words during the recent incident on-set," he said in a statement. "Both are beneath my own personal standards. I have nothing but respect for my coworkers and have apologized personally to everyone involved."

Even so, the controversy refused to fade, and the criticism only grew sharper after he repeated the slur at the 2007 Golden Globes that January, this time while denying the original on-set incident to reporters.

He and the rest of the cast were in the press room celebrating the show's Golden Globe win for best drama series when the moment unraveled. "No, I did not call T.R. a 'faggot,'" Washington told reporters at the time. "It never happened."

Days later, he apologized once more, telling The Showbuzz in a statement, "I apologize to T.R., my colleagues, the fans of the show and especially the lesbian and gay community for using a word that is unacceptable in any context or circumstance."

"By repeating the word Monday night, I marred what should have been a perfect night for everyone who works on 'Grey's Anatomy,'" he said. "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."

By that point, Knight had already come out as gay, shortly after the on-set altercation, and later told former talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres that Washington had used the slur against him and that "everyone heard it."

He explained that while close friends were aware of his sexuality, he hadn't been publicly out, nor had anyone ever directed the slur at him personally. "I've never been called that to my face. And so I think when that happened, [...] something shifted and it just became bigger [...] than myself," he reflected.

That June, Washington was let go from "Grey's Anatomy," while Knight remained with the series until 2009, later returning for a cameo in a 2020 episode. Washington also made a guest appearance in 2014.

Years later, series creator Shonda Rhimes looked back on just how close the scandal came to derailing the show entirely. "Grey's Anatomy" had been her first major project and an instant hit, but she admitted that early momentum nearly collapsed once news of the altercation broke.

"That was the thing we thought was going to kill the show," she told The Hollywood Reporter in a 2025 joint interview with Betsy Beers. "And it's funny, every Grey's actor I talk to who was there during that time is still traumatized by that incident. People still talk about it."