Inside 'Grey's Anatomy' Behind-the-Scenes Scandals in 10 Slides: From Casting Issues to Diva Behavior

Ellen Pompeo and Denzel Washington Had a Feud

In an episode of the "Tell Me With Ellen Pompeo" podcast, Ellen Pompeo spoke with her former Grey's Anatomy costar Patrick Dempsey and shared the moment Denzel Washington reportedly " went nuts on me ."

Washington directed an episode in Season 12 of the series titled, "The Sound of Silence."

"He made this choice to speak very softly. And [Meredith] was pissed that [she] had to sit there and listen to this apology, and he wasn't looking at [her] in the eye," Pompeo shared. "Again, we love actors who make choices, right? And I yelled at him, and I was like, 'Look at me when you apologize. Look at me.' And that wasn't in the dialogue, and Denzel went ham on my a--."

Pompeo continued, "He was like, 'I'm the director. Don't you tell him what to do.' And I was like, 'Listen, m-----------, this is my show. This is my set. Who are you telling?' Like, 'You barely know where the bathroom is.' And I have the utmost respect for him as an actor, as a director, as everything, but like, yo, we went at it one day."

Elisabeth Finch Had Been Put on Administrative Leave

In 2022, Grey's Anatomy consulting producer and writer Elisabeth Finch was accused of misinterpreting details about her medical and personal history, leading her to take an administrative leave.

“As hard as it is to take some time away right now, I know it is more important that I focus on my own family and my health. I’m immensely grateful to Disney , ABC and Shondaland for allowing me to do so and for supporting me through this very difficult time," she shared.

According to Deadline , Finch claimed she was diagnosed with bone cancer, suffered verbal and sexual abuse while working on The Vampire Diaries and lost a kidney and part of a leg due to a misdiagnosis.

'Grey's Anatomy' Reportedly Has a Toxic Work Environment

Pompeo shared a massive revelation about Grey's Anatomy during her 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporter . She noted that the series' real problem was no longer a secret for a long time.

“On the outside, we were a massive success, but there was all of this tumult on the inside: It was a lot of rivalry, a lot of competition," said the main star. "It starts with actors behaving badly, and then producers enabling them to behave badly. And, by the way, I’m guilty of it, too. I saw squeaky wheels getting all the f------ grease, so I was like, ‘OK, that’s how you do it,’ and I behaved badly as well. I mimicked what I saw.”

She also told Variety that the show had a toxic work environment due to bad behavior and serious cultural issues.

Katherine Heigl Withdrew From Emmy Consideration

In 2008, Katherine Heigl shocked Grey's Anatomy fans when she withdrew her name from Emmy consideration after winning an award for her supporting role the year prior.

"I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination and in an effort to maintain the integrity of the academy organization. In addition, I did not want to potentially take away an opportunity from an actress who was given such materials."

Shonda Rhimes , the series' executive producer, was reportedly insulted by the statement, creating tension between her and Heigl.

Although Heigl left in 2010 , she had continuously shaded Grey's Anatomy in public before and after her exit.

Isaiah Washington Referred to T.R. Knight Using a Homophobic Slur

Grey's Anatomy made headlines after a behind-the-scenes scandal involving Isaiah Washington emerged.

The alleged incident saw Isaiah referring to T.R. Knight using a homophobic slur during a clash between the former and Patrick on October 9, 2006.

Isaiah reportedly pushed Patrick against a wall before letting go of the controversial remark .

"We all felt horrible for T.R. because he had not come out to his family at that point," said writer Harry Werksman . "That was the way the news got delivered, and there was a feeling like, 'Oh my God, I can't imagine a worse way for that news to get to your family.'"

Ellen Pompeo Allegedly Received Hush Money

Isaiah made another claim about Ellen, accusing her of not revealing "how toxic and nasty Patrick really was" because of the hush money she allegedly took.

He alleged that the $5 million amount was made under the table amid the #MeToo Movement .

"And you want to run around here like you are the keeper of all feminine women and the feminist movement," the actor said of Ellen.

Patrick Dempsey Was Allegedly a Diva

Author Lynette Rice revealed in the 2021 book How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey's Anatomy that original Grey’s Anatomy executive producer James D. Parriott returned to the team in Season 11 due to HR issues caused by Patrick, who was allegedly terrorizing the show's set .

"Some cast members had all sorts of PTSD with him. He had this hold on the set where he knew he could stop production and scare people," said Lynette. "The network and studio came down and we had sessions with them. I think he was just done with the show. He didn’t like the inconvenience of coming in every day and working. He and Shonda were at each other’s throats.”

Isaiah Washington Revealed Why He Was Unable to Play Dr. Derek Shepherd's Role

Patrick played Dr. Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd on Grey's Anatomy , but Isaiah revealed in Lynette's tell-all book that he was supposed to have the role. It allegedly happened because Ellen was uncomfortable to have him play the part.

"There's a rumor out there or something that Ellen didn't want me to be her love interest because she had a Black boyfriend. The context is that she's not into white men," Isaiah claimed. "I guess she implied that her boyfriend may have had a problem with her doing love scenes with me, so she felt uncomfortable."

T.R. Knight Left Due to 'Breakdown of Communication With Shonda Rhimes'

In 2019, T.R. left Grey's Anatomy despite the show launching him to fame.

"I think she was concerned about having my statement come out so close to the [initial] event," T.R., who came out as g-- after the incident with Isaiah, said of Shonda discouraging him from coming out.

Shonda denied the claim.

Why Jerrika Hinton Was Ousted From 'Grey's Anatomy'

The How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey's Anatomy book cited a source who spoke about Jerrika Hinton 's alleged contentious relationship with Ellen. It reportedly started when Jerrika took photographs without permission.

"Jerrika was always laughing, but maybe she was a little naive," former head of the makeup department Norman Leavitt said. "She hadn't been around a lot, so maybe she didn't quite understand the power Ellen had. If she'd gone and said, 'Is it okay if I take these Polaroids?' Ellen probably would have gone, 'Okay.' But by just doing it and not including her, you're setting yourself up for disaster."