Shonda Rhimes Reveals Grey’s Anatomy Cast Still Traumatized by Shocking Scandal!

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Shonda Rhimes is reflecting on the early days of Grey’s Anatomy.

As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but share my excitement about the Shondaland creator who has crafted masterpieces like “Scandal,” “Bridgerton,” and “How to Get Away With Murder” under her company. In a recent interview, she opened up about a pivotal moment in the creation of one of her most beloved series – a medical drama that was almost cut short due to an early incident.

In 2006, Isaiah Washington, known for his role as Dr. Preston Burke on ABC’s series, had a physical altercation with his costar Patrick Dempsey. During this argument, Washington used a derogatory term against his other costar, T.R. Knight, which eventually led to Washington’s dismissal from the show. Following the incident, Shonda Rhimes, the creator of the series, was concerned that the aftermath might jeopardize the success of the show.

She expressed that the incident on “Grey’s” [referring to the Washington event] prematurely popped the bubble of joy for her, and since no one seemed willing to assist in addressing it, this experience significantly influenced her perspective on the world as a whole. She shared this insight in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, which was published on March 19.

She remarked, “It’s striking how every actor from the set of Grey’s during that time who I’ve spoken to is still affected by that event. It’s a topic that continues to be discussed.

Originally denying the use of a derogatory term, Washington later acknowledged and apologized for using it in a statement to The Showbuzz, as reported by CBS News in 2007. However, despite this apology, ABC opted not to renew Washington’s contract that same year, a representative confirmed to ABC News, although the network refrained from providing additional comments about his departure.

As Washington’s drama swirled around Shonda Rhimes and the show’s cast, it wasn’t the only turmoil the series—which debuted in 2005 and is currently airing its 21st season—had to confront. In 2008, one of the main actors, Katherine Heigl, opted out of Emmy nominations due to her perception of insufficient high-quality content.

Following the early scandals, Rhimes explained she had to shift her perspective as the showrunner.

She went on to say, “I wasn’t seeking a challenge, and I certainly didn’t anticipate one either. When we teamed up with Mark Gordon and Betsy Beers, I thought they would handle all the tricky parts, and I would just focus on writing. However, I soon found out that things don’t quite work that way.

As per Rhimes, she quickly discovered that being the creative mind comes with its own set of challenges – not only do you need to collaborate with others, but you are also expected to take the lead. It took some time for her to learn how to be an effective leader.

Despite the backstage turbulence, delve into the following to discover some major surprises and plot changes that have taken place across the 21 seasons of ‘Grey’s Anatomy‘.

Fresh surgical intern Meredith Grey (portrayed by Ellen Pompeo) experienced quite a shock during the debut of Grey’s Anatomy when she discovered that the attractive one-night-stand from the bar, whom she later found out was her new superior, Dr. Derek Shepherd – played by Patrick Dempsey – was indeed her boss, a well-respected surgeon. Whoops!

In the final episode of season one, fans were equally shocked as Meredith when Addison Montgomery (played by Kate Walsh) unexpectedly showed up at Seattle Grace, approaching Mer and Derek, and casually introducing herself with the memorable line, “It looks like I’ve found the woman who’s been sleeping with my husband.

During its second season, Grey’s Anatomy was placed in a highly coveted post-Super Bowl time slot. As Meredith reached into a body cavity containing a live bomb to prevent it from exploding, viewers held their breath in anticipation. Just when we thought the situation had been resolved and bomb squad chief Dylan (guest star Kyle Chandler) was walking away with the defused explosive, it detonated, tragically injuring him.

Spectators followed as Izzie (Katherine Heigl) developed feelings for Denny Duquette (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a man who exuded an irresistible charm while waiting for a life-saving heart transplant in the latter part of season two. Just like her, many viewers fell for him. However, when Izzie’s daring scheme to sabotage Denny’s LVAD wire to boost his position on the transplant list backfired disastrously and led to his demise in the season finale, it became clear that Grey’s Anatomy was not about delivering the heartwarming conclusions we desired.

Among the unexpected events during the severe ferry crash in season three, it was either the shocking discovery of Meredith struggling to stay afloat in the icy waters following the incident, or her subsequent confession about having lost hope and stopped fighting for survival that left viewers most astonished.

Towards the finale of season three, a new surgical intern named Lexie (Chyler Leigh) joined Seattle Grace Hospital. The night before she began working, she met Derek, reminiscent of his encounter with Mer two seasons back but without leading to them spending the night together. She then introduced herself to George O’Malley in the intern locker room. Interestingly enough, her last name was Grey, making her Meredith’s younger half-sister – one of Thatcher and Susan’s two daughters. Thus, she became part of the ensemble.

Approximately two and a half seasons following his demise, Denny made a return in an unusual manner – his spirit was found engaging in intimate moments with Izzie. In one of the most unbelievable scenes ever shown, this spectral Denny served as a sign for both viewers and Izzie herself that something was amiss. This mystery was eventually revealed to be advanced stage IV melanoma, which had spread not only elsewhere but also to her brain.

Instead of assuming Izzie would meet her end in the season five finale, George’s mysterious disappearance should have tipped us off that something was amiss with character O’Malley. When Meredith eventually figured out that the John Doe who’d been struck by a bus while saving a woman was writing “007,” his heartless nickname from earlier seasons, she attempted to warn the surgeons treating him, but it was too late. He flatlined and passed away.

Categorize this event as: The Disturbing Incident in the Chronicles of Grey’s Annalists

In the season finale of the sixth year, a bereaved husband of a deceased patient, after the hospital’s merger with neighboring Mercy West, stormed in armed and desperate to end his life. Tragically, some doctors were killed, many more were wounded, and the sight of Bailey (Chandra Wilson) being dragged by her feet from beneath a patient’s bed is an image that will linger. Miraculously, she made it through. Unfortunately, Mer and Derek’s baby did not survive. Believing him to be dead, she underwent a traumatic miscarriage after he was shot.

Two years following the tragic hospital shooting incident, Shonda Rhimes felt it was appropriate to put several doctors through another harrowing experience. In the final episode of season 8, a plane carrying Meredith, Derek, Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), Lexie, Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) and Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) en route to Boise, Idaho for a surgery on conjoined twins, experienced a crash in the wilderness. This left them stranded, injured, with no one aware that they had crashed. The accident resulted in the deaths of Mark and Lexie, the loss of Arizona’s leg, and Derek narrowly escaping with his hand permanently injured.

In a touching farewell, Grey’s Anatomy decided to bid adieu to Cristina Yang, played by Sandra Oh, at the end of season 10. Instead of a typical goodbye, they brought back Preston Burke, ex-fiancé of Cristina, played by Isaiah Washington. Remember, he had left her at the altar in season three. The unexpected return of Washington, following his controversial exit where he used an offensive slur towards co-star T.R. Knight, added a remarkable twist to the storyline.

In the season 10 finale of the show, I bid farewell to Cristina and welcomed her replacement as the head of cardio-thoracic surgery – Dr. Maggie Pierce. And when Kelly McCreary’s character disclosed to Richard (James Pickens Jr.) in the closing scenes that she was none other than Dr. Ellis Grey’s daughter, I couldn’t help but share his shock as I realized that not only did he have a daughter, but Mer had another sister too.

It came as a complete surprise when, with only a few episodes remaining in season 11, Derek was written off after being involved in a fatal head-on collision following his selfless act of rescuing a family from a car crash. This turn of events was particularly shocking because Patrick Dempsey, who played the character, had just renewed his contract on the show. The writers might have found it the only viable way to eliminate the character without ruining an 11-year love story, but that didn’t make the impact any less painful.

In the grueling ninth episode of season 12, Mer found herself viciously assaulted by a patient, leaving her jaw shattered and wired shut to help heal it and restore her hearing. A poignant portrayal of distress ensued when her children couldn’t visit her during recovery, showcasing the exceptional acting skills of Ellen Pompeo.

The show might handle Alex Karev’s unexpected departure, following Justin Chambers’ exit during season 16, by portraying him as writing letters to Jo (Camilla Luddington), Mer, and Bailey. In these letters, he reveals that he reconnected with Izzie years later after she sent him divorce papers. To his surprise, he learned that she had been raising their twins on a farm somewhere. He chose to prioritize this newfound family over his life in Seattle, which might have come as a shock to those who thought they could predict such a twist. If someone claims they foresaw this happening, we’ll prove them a liar.

In the seventeenth season, viewers saw Dr. Andrea “Andrew” DeLuca (played by Giacomo Gianniotti) suffer an untimely fate. After successfully dealing with his personal mental health issues, DeLuca advanced to become an attending physician at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. However, in keeping with the dramatic style of Grey’s, the life of Dr. DeLuca, who seemed to be back on track, was abruptly ended when he was stabbed by a henchman of a human trafficker.

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2025-03-21 00:18