13 Jun 2007

actor dropped from grey's anatomy for using anti-gay slur

Five months after creating a furor with his use of an anti-gay slur against a fellow castmate, actor Isaiah Washington will not return for the show's fourth season.

Grey's Anatomy co-star Isaiah Washington has been dropped from the hit US medical drama after he made headlines last October for calling co-star T.R. Knight a "faggot" on set, a move which, in turn, forced Knight to publicly declare himself gay.

Isaiah Washington (right) was dropped from Grey's Anatomy after he made headlines last year for calling co-star T.R. Knight a
At the Golden Globe awards in January, where Grey's was named top television drama, Washington caused further uproar when he repeatedly used the slur backstage - after denying he had ever used the word in the first place.

He later apologised for his actions, met with officials from the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and filmed a public service announcement in which he said "words have power" to hurt or heal.

And at the end of season three his character, Dr Preston Burke, was seen packing his bags on the cliffhanger finale.

According to series producer ABC Television Studios, his contract has not been renewed.

The actor's spokesperson Howard Bragman confirmed his client had received a call from the show's creator Shonda Rimes on June 7 informing the actor that he was "not invited back to the show next season," and the 43-year-old star Friday released a statement addressing the situation.

"I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore," he said in the statement.

Meanwhile, Grey's co-star and Golden Globe-winning Korean-Canadian actress Sandra Oh will host the June 23 season finale of CBC Radio One's Go, titled The Gayest Music of All Time in honour of Gay Pride weekend across North America.