Celebrity Feuds
Knight: Isaiah Forced Me Out with "Faggot" Slur

T.R. Knight says that Isaiah Washington forced him out of the closet when he called him a "faggot" on the set of "Grey's Anatomy."

What's more, Knight tells Ellen DeGeneres that he's dumbfounded by Washington's denial of having called Knight a "faggot" in a scuffle with "Grey's" co-star Patrick Dempsey. Washington offered the denial in an interview at Monday's Golden Globes. Knight, in turn, told Ellen, "I don't know what to say, really, about that."

Knight also says that he'd never been called by the slur "to his face," and when he heard Washington refer to him in that way, "something shifted, and it became bigger than myself." Shortly thereafter, Knight revealed to People magazine that he is, in fact, gay, but says he never intended to before the incident. "It became important to make the statement," he says.

Knight appears on today's episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." Check your local listings.



Tags: Grey's Anatomy, Grey'sAnatomy, Isaiah Washington, IsaiahWashington, TR Knight, TrKnight

Reader Comments

(Page 3 of 8) Previous 15 Comments | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

31. Hmmm....why do people always equate being gay with being black? Definitely not the same thing. There is no closet for black people, unless you're light enough to pass as white...anyhoo.

Truthfully, though I wonder if this would be such an issue if Patrick Dempsey had made the slur? I've heard PD say in interviews that in his youth he was no dream to work with on the set. Perhaps he goes around the set punking everyone out, and IW was like "dude, you ain't punking me like you do TR". If it was used in this manner, IW basically called TR a wimp. Is that to say that all homosexuals are wimps? No. Does this make IW a homophobe? Not necessarily (he might be, I don't know)

However...if Isaiah meant wimp...he should've said wimp. In the workplace, there are words you just cannot use. I've been called a B!$%& at work, and laughed it off, but if someone called me a N!#$% B!!!@, I'd be right down in HR, calling up Jesse Jackson.

So...I think IW should be fired, but I don't think he's necessarily the homophobe that everyone is making him out to be.

Posted at 12:26PM on Jan 17th 2007 by Tiffany

32. "This happened ages ago... is it really necessary to bring this up again?"
Posted at 12:07PM on Jan 17th 2007 by 79aebf99
-------
Apparently, you are unawared that the slimy Isaiah Washington denied very loudly at a press conference Monday night that he ever said it - grabbed the mic from Shonda and shouted "I never called him a f...t, it never happened, never happended."

Turns out - as we see today, that a. he did do it and b. he lied about it. And now C. he's the jerk that repeated the hateful word Monday night when most of the cast had hoped that they'd gotten past it.

Franky, if he is not fired, seeing as this is the second time around with his b.s. I will be boycotting the show. I hope those with any integrity will join me.

Posted at 12:28PM on Jan 17th 2007 by so funny

33. TR comming out of the closet, because of the intial incident I think was a little weird. If taken in context, the initial incident did not seem that bad, at least what was reported in the media. For Isiah to now lie about the incident, is showing another chink in his character.

I love Grey's Anatomy, and I feel like Isiah is tarnishing a very good show. He would need to now apologizing for the initial incident, and admit that he lied at the GG.

Isiah is a phenomenal actor, but he definately needs to take some sensitivity classes. As a black man in America he should know about how hurtful name calling could be.

Come on Isiah aplogize to TR, and tell the truth, turn over a new leaf, take some sensitivity classes do it for the show and for Shonda Rhimes.

Posted at 12:31PM on Jan 17th 2007 by april

34. I'm a bitter white dude...well...at least I think I'm in the
percential but big deal...so he called him a "faggot"..he should have
just called Isaiah a faggot back and see how he responded to
that..."something shifted, and it became bigger than myself."..what
kind of self-absorbed existential crap is that? get over yourself. I
don't care that you're gay. God doesn't' care that you're gay. No
ones cares that you're gay.

--Mr. DB

Posted at 12:44PM on Jan 17th 2007 by Mr. DiRTyBuNNy

35. ummmmmmm i'm sorry but T.R. Knight need to shut that sh*t up!!! We all knew he was gay long beforeeeeeeee he came out. I thought he was playing a gay character on the show until a friend corrected me...

and why is this news???? everyone knows Washington is an a**hole. I knew his reputation before I even knew who he was! i'm suprised that's the ONLY slur he made to a fellow cast member

Posted at 12:39PM on Jan 17th 2007 by Angel

36. He hurt my feelings. Boo hoo. Take it like a man or your just perpetuating the stereotype of the weak, sissy, and gay boy. If called you a faggot and you came out, then you are? What is the big deal? Call him a nigger, and then you are even. Words can't hurt you. If you give the word power over you then it will.
I have been called beaner and spic, but I don't get my tortillas all bunched up.
Be strong life is too short.

Posted at 1:24PM on Jan 17th 2007 by tom

37. I don't agree with Isaiah Washington name calling. T.R. Knight probably didn't want to have to put his business out there for everyone to scrutinize, however I do not see how, in a heated argument/fight/scuffle, Washington calling Knight a faggot would confirm the fact that Knight is gay. During an argument, if a co-worker were to call me a slut, then it wouldn't mean that I would then have to explain to the entire office my sexual past. I don't know what exactly happened because I wasn't there. It seems like an odd situation; Washington fighting with Dempsey = Washington calling Knight a faggot!! I enjoy the show and I enjoy the characters on the show, but I would hate for something like this to ruin my tv viewing. It makes me upset to know that the actors are feuding behind the scenes, that takes away from the show. I don't know any of these actors personally, however Washington could be an arrogant ass, but only those that work with him knows for sure through their own observations.

Posted at 4:05PM on Jan 17th 2007 by Jaz

38. who is t.r knight?

Posted at 12:37PM on Jan 17th 2007 by nomassa

39. i must have missed what Washington said at the globes, the only thing i remember is a joke about him and Mc Dreamy having it written into their contracts that they have stay 100 ft from each other. this whole thing was unfortunate when it happend, but it's just silly now. These people work with each other, and so what they don't always get along. i don't know anyone who loves everyone at their job, since when does the fact that you work on a hollywood set mean that work is all of a sudden a giant love fest and nobody every bitches about anyone else or does something nasty. why was this squabble ever news? people seriously need to get over this incident.

Posted at 12:41PM on Jan 17th 2007 by Paula

40. Everyone knows "faggot" is a slur against gay men. What they don't is how it came to be so. According to Oxford, a "faggot" is a bunch of sticks bundled together to stoke fires. The term became derogatory when suspected homosexuals were sent with Jews to Nazi concentration camps--they were tied together and thrown into the ovens in bundles of "faggots".

Tell this story to the next person you hear use the word in this way, and maybe they'll think twice...

Posted at 1:25PM on Jan 17th 2007 by Joseph

41. This bigot is nominated for an NAACP Image award, please let the NAACP that he is undeserving.

imageawards@naacpnet.org

Posted at 12:48PM on Jan 17th 2007 by so funny

42. Why is it that people can refer to Jews in derogatory terms, and most people say forgive the person he needs help. A person uses the N word or faggot and everyone is up in arms. Shame what the world is coming to.

Posted at 12:46PM on Jan 17th 2007 by KiltedScribe

43. What Washington was horrible. He's a jerk and him denying it just makes him seem like a little punk. I'm black and if anyone had called me the N word, I'd be very pissed off. Calling someone a faggot is just as awful and Washington needs his ass kicked verbally and financially. The show shouldn't still try to sweep this under the rug!

Posted at 12:48PM on Jan 17th 2007 by mae

44. I watch this show every week and I love it. Isaiah Washington's character can easily be replaced and it should!! ABC needs to take a stance and show the people that love this show that hatred will not be tolerated and fire this guy. I believe that Grey's Anatomy will lose viewers if they do not do something about it. If someone had called this guys the N word the sh*t would really be hitting the fan right now!

Posted at 5:20PM on Jan 17th 2007 by Theresa

45. Backing up a bit here, Isiah has a rep in Hollywood, he is a good not great actor and he is difficult, selfish, not very giving to other actors and frankly if you want him for the role, you got some baggage coming along with it. Yes there are other actors black, white and so on who are just like him. However, Isiah's behavior is taking away the glow on a very popular show.
He is really lucky that Shonda likes him alot but after the Monday weirdness ..taking the mic, he may have lost that strong ally. TR did not just let the word out him, the story was picked up everywhere both here and overseas.
He really had to answer the talk and I think then he did it in the best way possible. I don't agree that he continue to talk about it now. Katherine Heigl who is his best friend so you have to just let her be true to herself and protect her buddy (I actually loved that!) was caught off guard, she had to answer the questions and I probably would have done the same. Now TR on Ellen today, have not seen the whole thing yet but its truly like talking outside the family, I will wait to hear though, where are the producers in this now? Are they dealing with this or hoping it will blow over? Fights like this can make for really long, bad production days , unhappy crew and cast. Lots of Overtime and money wasted, it will spill onto the film, they better fix it before that happens. I hope they are on it.

Posted at 12:52PM on Jan 17th 2007 by lizzy

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