How Do You Feel About Isaiah Washington Getting Fired?
June 14, 2007 by Ingrid Diaz
It’s been a few days since the big news that Isaiah Washington will not be returning to Grey’s next season. I’m still irritated by the news. I feel like he’s gone from bad guy to victim in the span of a few months, and I don’t think it’s much of a coincidence that T.R. Knight was asked back a day or two before news that Isaiah had been fired leaked out.
Do you guys think there’s still alot of drama going on that the media isn’t reporting? Or was it simply Dr. Burke’s time to depart? Was there anything that could’ve saved Isaiah or was he doomed from the moment he spoke the F word in public?
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?a47wash
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/petition-sign.cgi?weluviw
i want isaiah comeback and TR and izie out
The entire situation is sad. It’s sad that there were flare-ups on the set in the first place, it’s sad that Isaiah lost his job, and it’s sad that a handful of frequent posters on this blog are advocating an anti gay agenda by way of retaliation.
For those posters using words like “gay mafia”, it might be a good idea to remember that Isaiah’s physical violence was directed towards a heterosexual male co-star, and that had as much to do with his being let go as any other factor.
Using this occassion to bash gays merely reinforces the stereotype that Blacks are intolerant towards gay people, and that is particularly unfortunate coming from people who have suffered from intolerance themselves.
I want Isaiah back… If not… I will not longer watch Grey’s… BOYCOTT the show.. I watch the spinoff with Madison!
I think this was a big mistake! The writers just caved to pressure from network execs who themselves are probly on the downlow. OH well Greys lost!!! Bad Move Shonda u should retake that class on how not to be a sell out and be true to yourself.
PS TR Knight is a whiny, wimpy individual. fire him!
i think its bull crap that he isnt coming back…what the heck do they want the show to fall apart..i mean the main charecters are leaving next thing we know the new grey intern is gonna be the new greys anatomy narrator like are they stupid i mean kate walsh is one thing to lose but washington has been there since day one..ABC needs to get their act together now
The firing of Mr. Washington was a bad move. He and Sandra Oh had a major chemistry; subtle but effective. Mr. Washington can do more with a single look than a lot can with 3 pages of dialogue.
I am not sure that I will be watching the next season. I enjoyed the character of Preston Burke and I will miss him terribly.
Maybe the powers that be will reconsider.
By the way, I am MORE THAN TIRED OF GEORGE AND IZZIE. Izzie started out good but has gotten to be a whiner. Isn’t there enough of that?
Ditto all comments above. Isaiah should be back!!!! the only romance in grey’s anatomy that makes sense is burke – yang. Grey’s wont be the same without dr. burke. His character is more interesting than all the men in GA. People make mistake. Get over it!!!!!!!
The ONE and ONLY reason why I watch GREY’s ANATOMY is because of the most effective and charming characters of Dr Preston Burke and Dr Cristina Yang…Firing Isaiah Washington from the show is a GREAT LOSS to ABC and Grey’s Anatomy…The show will still ok without him but I think it would not as great as Season 1,2 and 3.
Burke and Cristina were the most lovely couple in the show…
Dr Burke is the best “doctor” in Seatlle Grace Hospital.
I’m gonna miss you Dr Burke…
You are the best…
sick and tired with izzie and george…kick them out from the show as well…
i’m not happy with this
in europe we love burke too!
im sad that 2 big characters are leaving.
Seriousy, get burke back!!!!!
I totally agree with everyone else, especially the BOYCOTT. I think it is totally unfair that they fired Isaiah. He is such a great actor as well as a wonderful assest to the show. Grey’s won’t be the same and I honestly think the show will go downhill with out him. I honestly hope it does because everyone makes mistakes and them firing him only shows that they are not willing to forgive people when they make mistakes. When Tara the former Miss America made a ton of mistakes, everyone forgave her and she kept her crown, so why couldn’t Isaiah keep his job?
Isaiah is one of the best you guys made a big mistake !!!
Well yanno I won’t mince any words here…It pisses me off that they, whether it be Shonda or ABC fired a man for using a racial slur yet one of their main characters is called “the Nazi” and they condone adultery like it is just the hippest in thing to do…so yanno if you are going to decide to grow some damn morals utilize them across the board and not just when they seem fitting. What a bunch of hypocrites????? I thought this was just ca-ca. I am about over the whole damn show.
I agree with Gracie. The show is very hypocritical with the continual sex shown every week along with the refernce to the NAZI. My teenage daughter liked season 1, but I can’t let her watch it any longer. Too much sex, not enough story.
I also think Dr. Burke was one of the best, if not THE BEST actor on the show.
I still love McDreamy, because well, he is Dreamy, but I think Burke was the best actor ion the show.
Without Burke and with the rumor that Derek and
Meredith will never end up together, well, what’s left???
You no longer have a show.
Well, now you really have no show left !!!
Yes , I must agree with most of the above !
It’s a real shame that they can’t forgive him
It prooves what the world has come to again , no forgivness !!!!!!!Like no one has ever made a mistake hah !! I love the show , but this is going to far , just tipical isn’t it !!!!!!
what he said to t.r wasnt fair, even if its true, and even if its over.
I’m going to miss burke.
but look…
if hes not a good person, then he doesnt deserve to be on the show.
I’m sorry if no one agrees with me but thats just my oppinion.
I don’t feel like Isaiah Washington should have been fired. People have done a lot worse than make a stupid comment..they need to bring him back!!!
As I’ve said before, the whole situation is sad.
Shonda has spoken out on the subject:
“Since the announcement was made last Friday, Rhimes has remained silent on the situation — until now.
“I think there have been things that have happened that have been within the family that stay within the family,” Rhimes told “Access’” Shaun Robinson at the Crystal + Lucy Awards honoring Women in Film.”
It seems to me that without going in to detail, she’s hinting pretty broadly that there was more wrong behind the scenes than what the public has heard about.
Again – it’s sad, but it certainly seems there’s more to it than just the spat in October.
Oh grow up you guys. Shondra knows what she is doing! And the show can survive without Washington.. He was becoming somewhat of a jerk anyways. And for those of you that say Knight is a whiner… Why don’t you put yourself in his shoes. And then re-evaluate the situation. He has not been saying anything or making a huge deal of the whole thing.. it is ABC. Oh and Heigl is an amazing and talented actress. Those of you who want her to leave are just shallow. Again… Grow Up.
You guys are the complainers.
Thank you Corrie!
We don’t know everything that’s gone on, but we DO know that neither T.R. or Katherine has been reported as attempting to choke a coworker or using derogatory names in the workplace. So why do so many of these folks want to turn it around and blame them for what’s happened?
It reminds me of when a man is on trial for rape, and his attorney tries to say it was the woman’s fault because she was “asking for it”
It just makes no sense.
Shonda and ABC had their reasons, and she’s certainly hinted that we don’t know all of them and are not going to find out from her. For them to let go of a major character played by a very talented actor you KNOW they had good reason – and not just the stuff that we heard about, if you bother to read her statement.
I think it is totally fair. I mean, obviously there was more than just the stuff that happened in October and more than the Golden Globes. If he is a bad person, he doesn’t deserve the job. And it seemed like it was his time to go because he was gone by the end of the finale. I agree the show won’t be the same and Isaiah and Sandra Oh did have great chemistry and so did their characters, but Isaiah said horrible things about T.R.. And anyone who calls someone names because of their sexual orientation, race, gender, etc., doesn’t deserve to stay on a show like Grey’s.
i really wouldn’t miss burke, but i think its unfair to dismiss isaiah despite his public acts of atonement
he doesnt rly have an important part in the show,
hes rly boring
im glad hes gone
i am responding to peytons remark above. Who ever said an actor has to be a “good person” to be on television or in movies? First time I ever heard that!
I think it’s really sad that we have become a race of unforgiving people. It’s true, we all make mistakes and it’s true that no one’s perfect. Isaiah apologized. Move on with the show. Shonda…you said that the cast is a family. Well, when a member of your family makes a mistake, do you disown him/her?? You should be ashamed of yourself. Bring him back.
what the hell this is so sad!!! i loved isaiah on the show and i loved the relationship he was in with christina!!!! ahhh im so over what he “said” i really dont care…shonda should not let personal conflict get in the way of the show she is robbing the fans!!! im not sure if ill be back for season 4 …and by the way who cares what kind of person they are just so long as the characters are played well??
I will NOT watch the show anymore. I was getting sick of George and Izzie. Liked Burke.
I want to know can we petition for Isaiah to come back because he is a major part of the show…
I’m ticked that they won’t have Burke anymore, but how do you suppose they’ll get rid of him?
How about him dying when his car gets rear-ended by a Pride parade float?
i think the way they will “get rid of him” is gonna just gonna be someone telling cristina that burke has just left. at the end of the last episode you could see that burke did well plan this
I think that u are all wrong. McDreamy, Meredith, George and Izzy are all better characters then burke and I am glad that he is gone. Burke was the most boring character in the programme. There was no real chemistry between himself and Christina and can’t compare to the relationship between McDreamy and Meredith.
Right on Shonda! I am so glad that they sacked Isaiah’s ass. Firstly, he was a trouble maker on set continuously. He is arrogant and so full of himself that the other actors are uncomfortable around him. I get this from someone who chauffeurs the actors to and from the set although it is admittedly hearsay. As far as his acting goes, he is the worst one of the bunch…..the one scene when he compares himself to Goddddd and calls himself an excellent surgeon almost made me gag and it seemed that the sentiments written for his character were not too far off the mark from how the actor thinks about himself. After he was canned he made a comment about “how can they do that after I did all the things they asked like donate to a charity and do a Public Service Announcement!” This in itself proved his true colors since he obviously did those things just as a way to keep his job with no sincerity behind it whatsoever. What a JERK! I commend TR and Katherine for how they handled the whole fiasco with dignity and standing up for what they believe in. I only have one thing to say to Isaiah: Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out!
I agree that we don’t know what all went on behind the scenes, and that could have contributed to both Shonda and ABC wanting Washington to be let go. Also, from what I’ve read about the general arrogance and inflated egos of the cast since the show’s success, I think this was also a message to them that they need to shape up, because they are ALL expendable, even Ellen Pompeo (who considers herself the star of the show, as she reportedly made point of in her anger at not being “consulted” about Kate Walsh’s spin-off) . It seems to me that the addition of Lexi on the show didn’t just come at a convenient time to complicate the MerDer situation, but to also have a backup Grey in case it came to that.
I loved Burke and I think Isiaih is an incredible actor BUT if any blue collar worker had done what he’s said to have done (attack a fellow employee physically and use a slur against another) any boss would put him on probation. By using the slur AGAIN in a room full of reporters he deserves to be fired.
But I’ll miss his character a ton.
I am not going to watch Grey’s next season- Burke was one of the best acted roles on the show- and I am really sick of the story line between George and Iizze, the season finale was not encouraging- I vote to bring Burke character back- that’s the only way I am going to watch next season-
Burke was one of the few characters who actually had a storyline worth watching, and he could act. The last season was nothing more than another “melrose place” and a series of ‘lets all sleep with each other at least once’. As for Izzie and George – they bore me to tears. I was on the fence about watching next season, but without Burke, count me out. As for the spin off, that looks like a B show with B actors – out for that one too!
Isaiah contract was not renewed because of the
TK slur, ABC sources said it was because of a
history of anger issues, arrogance, physical assualt and bad behavior on the set. He dug his
own grave then nite of the GG’s. He has been an embarassment and constant source of tension.
Aingon Atelia – I knew when watching the season finale that there was a good chance that when Isiah walked out at the church it would be the last time you saw him. There might be some loose ends tied up in the season premier this fall but you won’t actually see him.
vstewart – You are bang on with everything you said. He is a great actor, but in any other job situation he would have been given a chance then fired.. why should it be any different for Isiah?
Carol – The incidents you just named are the proof that there was more going on behind the set and if these are all true then he did deserve to be fired, whether or not anyone thinks he was a good actor or not.
All in all I think the right decision was being made. And to those of you who say you are not going to watch Season four… I would be money that you will at least check it out to see what it’s like. If you are a fan of the show your not about to just stop watching it.
How much are paying the fans- like myself who will not be “checking it out” . I was the edge with this show as it was- now without Burke’s character there really is no story line worth watching.
The first mistake ABC made was not having Kate Walsh on Grey’s it’s good that she got a spinoff but grey’s is better with her. Then Isaiah Washington getting fired. They made him do all of the “gay love” stuff just so the show wouldn’t get bad publicity they were never going to let him back. Isaiah should sue them . (however you spell that) If they show previews for grey’s and they have Burke in them or if they are using him in anything to promote season 4 and I was him I would sue because they let him go.
WE SHOE STOP WATCHING ABC UNTILL ISAIAH WASHINGTON IS BACK ON GREY’S
IW and SO had the only decent story line in Season 3 and unless Shonda and crew come up
with a better story arcs this fall there may not
be a G/A on ABC. ABC did not fire IW, they did
not renew his contract. Isaiah should have done
rehab and the PSA (his idea) for his own sake.
If he’s complaining about it, it was obviously not sincere. There is no evidence ABC ever promised to renew the option. I think he is a
fine actor, and will be missed but ABC had no
choice as he was a liability in too many ways.
READ THIS
It was also reported that a new male character would be introduced. This character would somehow be in “competition” with Dr. Derek Shepherd. [11]
In the official blog, creator Shonda Rhimes gave a few clues as to plotlines for season four, indicating that Mark Sloan will be given a bigger role and that the aftermath of the finale events for Derek Shepherd and Cristina Yang will be “interesting to watch.”[12]
WHAT IF THE LAST PART MEANS DEREK AND YANG WILL HOOK UP L.O.L. (JUST A THOUGHT) BETTER NOT HAPPEN
brenda ingram…
good call…i love burke soooooooo much…
keep on supporting him ok…
mcdreamy lover…good call too…
yang with derek..oh..no no..yang is ONLY for burke…
If you grab a coworker by the neck at the office, more than likely you’ll be fired. If you sexually or racially harass someone at the office, you’ll possibly be fired too.
I don’t see what’s wrong with what they did. It’s a corporation, it’s a place of business, they did what a lot of other companies would’ve done. Simple as that.
The show may suffer for it, or it may not. Who knows.
The poor morals demonstrated in the show conflict with the moral outrage of ABC. I have stopped watching the daytime dramas for the same reason. ABC is pro homosexual as anyone can see just watching their line up. It is no wonder ABC let Mr. Washington go. TR on the other hand could have stepped up to defend the firing but instead he must have been whining behind the scenes to get Washington fired. If TR believed his “chosen lifestyle” was acceptable, why was he hiding in the closet in the first place. I do not condone personal attacks. However, as we all know actors are tempermental people and as such are prone to out bursts. We never heard what provoked Washington or what else was said during the conflict. We just hear that poor TR had is secret told and his cover blown. An unnatural act is just that, unnatural. Its time that people recognize their innate propensity to fulfill their physical desires and accept the fact that some behaviors are just not acceptable to the general public no matter how much it is shoved down our throats. And on a similar note; I am tired of the show and the fact that Izzie (tramp) is chasing and catching a married George all the time. Everyone sleeps with everyone and marriages aren’t sacred. The firing of Mr. Washington just sealed my decision and that of my co-workers to stop watching yet another ABC series. I suppose now they have gained many more viewers who support the gay rights agenda seeking to over throw the moral decency; or what’s left of it, in this country.
mcdreamy lover – where did you get this information from? do you have a web site?
Why do so many of you continue to only consider this a homophobic issue? This is also about anger issues, tension on the set and arrogance that were issues before the GG fiasco. He is a fine actor, he had a great role but seems incapable of controlling his temper
on GA or other sets prior to the October scuffle. Even Isaiah stated he did not expect
to hear from his cast mates, which says a lot.