Isaiah Washington’s contract on NBC drama “Grey’s Anatomy” was not renewed in June, 2007 after a controversy over a gay epithet he supposedly used on-set against co-star T.R. Knight in October of 2006. Washington later called his dismissal racist and said that he didn’t call Knight the F word, but that he told Patrick Dempsey, who he was involved in physical altercation with at the time, to stop treating him like a “bitch, p*ssy, and a f-t” Other versions of the story have Washington using the word directly referring to Knight, saying “I’m not your f, like [him]”

Washington hasn’t had a lot of work since Grey’s wrapped and was working on another new series, but it was canceled. He is widely thought to have financial problems and has said several times that he would like to return to the show. Instead of sucking it up and playing nice, he couldn’t help but condemn Greys producers for dismissing actress Brooke Smith. Smith was let go last week because she wasn’t working out, according to producers, but rumor had it that the network was not comfortable with the plot involving her gay character’s relationship.

Former Grey’s Anatomy star Isaiah Washington — who was axed from the show in 2007 after spewing a homophobic slur at T.R. Knight — is slamming the show for firing Brooke Smith.


”I looked at a brilliant actress, whom I have adored since I first saw her in Silence of the Lambs,” he says in the Nov. 17 issue of TV Guide. “For her to be treated this way, I find very interesting.”


Grey’s creator Shonda Rhimes released a statement last week insisting that “Brooke Smith was obviously not fired for playing a lesbian …. we did not find that the magic and chemistry with Brooke’s character would sustain in the long run.”


Regardless, Washington says the move was harsh.



“The fact is that, just before the holidays, you have a mother, a wonderful actress removed from a steady income without the proper reasoning behind it…” he says.

“You look at the way another consummate professional [is] being treated because her character, her story line [has] potentially made producers uncomfortable.

“

He says Rhimes is getting the raw deal.



”Now that I see what they’re doing to a show that I love and I care about, I think it’s disgusting,” Washington continues. “The fact that Shonda has been put in this position is extremely unfair.



“It’s unfortunate because it was probably, at the time, the most progressive show on television,” he says. “Now I see it [being] systematically torn apart.”



How can the show be fixed?



”Bring Burke back!” Washington says.



So he would return to the show, despite all the drama? “Absolutely!”

[From US Weekly]

Between Katherine Heigl withdrawing from the Emmy race and saying that Grey’s writers gave her bad material, the on-set feuds, and now Brooke Smith getting fired, it just sounds the show is not a comfortable place to work. It still has a huge viewership and is not going away any time soon. According to Nielsen and TV.com it’s the 9th most watched show on US television.

Brooke Smith is shown on 7/17/08. Isaiah Washington is shown on 10/13/08. Credit: PRPhotos