Entertainment News
2007-01-25
Isaiah Washington
heads to counseling
After months of
tension on the Grey's Anatomy set after costar
Isaiah Washington spouted antigay remarks, he will admit
After months of
tension on the Grey's Anatomy set after costar
Isaiah Washington spouted antigay remarks, he will admit
himself to counseling, possibly to save his job.
"I regard this as
a necessary step toward understanding why I did what I
did and making sure it never happens again," Washington said
in his statement. "I appreciate the fact that I have been
given this opportunity, and I remain committed to
transforming my negative actions into positive
results, personally and professionally."
According to
Life & Style, Washington was spotted
entering a counseling facility at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
In October,
Washington was allegedly involved in an altercation with
cast member Patrick Dempsey after Washington used an
antigay epithet against cast mate T.R. Knight on the
set. Knight later announced he was gay after the
altercation went public.
On January 15,
talking to the press after the Golden Globes
ceremony, Washington denied making the comment: "No, I did
not call T.R. a faggot," he said. "Never happened;
never happened."
Later that night,
Katherine Heigl, another cast mate, told Access
Hollywood, "I'm going to be really honest right
now: He needs to just not speak in public. Period. I'm
sorry, that did not need to be said. I'm not OK with it."
Days after the
Golden Globes, Knight appeared on TheEllen DeGeneres Show to discuss the incident.
"He referred to me as a 'faggot,'" Knight said on the
show. "Everyone heard it."
The show's
creator, Shonda Rhimes, released a statement Wednesday
calling Washington's use of such language "shocking
and dismaying" that "insulted not only gays and
lesbians everywhere but anyone who has ever struggled
for respect in a world that is not always accepting of
difference."
Rhimes said in
the statement that the show's cast, crew, Touchstone
Television, and ABC have been working to reach a resolution.
"We applaud and encourage Isaiah's realization that he
needs help and his subsequent choice to seek immediate
treatment for his behavioral issues," she said.
In the past week
Washington has met with both the Gay and Lesbian
Alliance Against Defamation and the Gay, Lesbian, and
Straight Education Network. (The Advocate)
Click here to follow The Advocate on Twitter.
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