Isaiah Washington fired from Grey's Anatomy

[rbs3676]

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Isaiah Washington has lost his job on the hit ABC medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," five months after creating a furor with his use of an anti-gay slur.

Washington's contract option was not renewed for next season, series producer ABC Television Studios said Thursday.

"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore," Washington said in a statement released through his publicist, Howard Bragman, without elaboration.

He drew fire after using the anti-gay epithet backstage at the Golden Globe Awards in January while denying he'd used it previously on the set against cast mate T.R. Knight.

Gay rights groups and cast member Katherine Heigl, who publicly denounced Washington, were among his most vocal critics.

"This is something that will have changed the scope of his life," Heigl told Entertainment Weekly last month. Washington was "sorry and embarrassed" for the mistake, she said.

Washington tried to make amends and said he was seeking therapy.

He also met with officials from the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and filmed a public service announcement in which he said "words have power" to hurt or heal. (Watch Washington's PSA )

The May finale of "Grey's Anatomy" opened the door for the departure of his character. Burke was on the verge of marrying Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), but her doubts at first delayed and then derailed their splashy wedding.

Later, Yang found that Burke cleared out his favorite possessions from their apartment.

In May, Bragman said the actor intended to spend the summer working and not worrying about the show. Washington intended to continue his charity work in Sierra Leone, which a DNA test showed to be his ancestral home, and work on an independent movie.

[danax6]

That was pretty inevitable. Apparantly tension remained backstage. If you ask me, all that depressing stuff really reflected what we saw in season 3. So it might be a good thing, considering Shonda Rhimes has promised she'd go back to the light and fun Grey's of season 1. Here's to hoping...

[skcin]

Yeah, I can't say that I'll miss him all that much. They def. set it up on the show for an easy exit with him not getting chief, then Christina's wedding doubts.

[amber]

Originally Posted by skcin

Yeah, I can't say that I'll miss him all that much. They def. set it up on the show for an easy exit with him not getting chief, then Christina's wedding doubts.

Yeah, I didn't like him, either. And besides his gay thing, I think he was kind of an ass in general. If he wasn't, they probably would have kept him.

[danax6]

Originally Posted by amber

Yeah, I didn't like him, either. And besides his gay thing, I think he was kind of an ass in general. If he wasn't, they probably would have kept him.

Right. And apparantly he has been an asshole on other sets before Grey's also, so he could have gone to anger management classes till he was blue in the face, he'd still be an asshole.

Burke was my least favorite character on the show anyway, so I can't say I am sad about this.

[mikeschmike]

Hey, chalk one up for the fags!

Honestly, this guy didn't do much for me on the show. I could see the strain that the other actors were under to even be around him, so I'm excited!

[amber]

Originally Posted by danax6

Right. And apparantly he has been an asshole on other sets before Grey's also, so he could have gone to anger management classes till he was blue in the face, he'd still be an asshole.

Burke was my least favorite character on the show anyway, so I can't say I am sad about this.

Really? on what shows? You can just tell he's an ass....