LOS ANGELES (January 16, 2007) ? “Grey’s Anatomy” star Katherine Heigl is taking a stand against her “Grey?s” co-star Isaiah Washington after he used a homophobic slur in the Golden Globes press room on Monday night.
“I am not okay with it,” Heigl told Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson, referring to Washington’s remarks.
In the Globes press room on Monday, Washington tried to set the record straight in regards to reports in October of an on-set incident that resulted from the alleged use of a homophobic slur toward co-star T.R. Knight.
After a reporter questioned the validity of the on-set incident, Washington denied his involvement saying, ?No, I did not call T.R. a faggot. Never happened, never happened.?
In response to Washington’s use of the slur when addressing the situation last night, Heigl spoke out.
“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 okay with it,” Katherine told Shaun.
When asked if she thought it was just an off-the-cuff remark, Heigl added, “I have no idea what it was, I just find it hurtful?I just feel like this is something that should be very much in house we need to deal with and it?s among us and the cast and crew and among Shonda [Rimes, show creator] and the producers.?
Heigl said that she hoped they work the situation out, making her loyalty to Knight, who plays Dr. George O’Malley on the hit show, clear.
“I don?t think [Washington] means it the way he comes off?But, T.R. is my best friend. I will throw down for that kid. I will beat you up. I will use every ounce of energy I have to take you down if you hurt his feelings,” she said.
When asked if she thought Knight was hurt by Washington?s comments she added, “I don’t see how you could not be under those circumstances. Drawing attention to it and saying the word again is just unnecessary.”
After making his comments in the press room, Washington came straight to Access Hollywood?s Billy Bush and Nancy O?Dell to explain.
“There is no way I could do anything so vile, and so horrible, not only to a castmate, but to a fellow human being,” he insisted.
When asked what spurred his comments on the October incident Washington told Bush, “It’s the truth. It did not happen. I was going to hire some other great shiny publicist, but you know what, God laid it on my heart to say it because it was so close. The reports were all wrong. It did not happen. I?m very disappointed that the New York Post actually wrote legitimately about something that was put in a tabloid about some angry person to get some validity to this, and then it just rippled.”
Washington also said that he and co-star Patrick Dempsey have moved beyond the October incident.
“I kiss Patrick Dempsey. We sing ‘Ebony and Ivory’ everyday since the so-called incident and it hasn?t come up. We purposely sing ‘Ebony and Ivory’ every night since October 9 and nobody has written about it,” he added.
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