HOLLYWOOD - Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes has slammed reports she is replacing the show's star Isaiah Washington with ER stalwart Eriq La Salle.
Washington hit the headlines earlier this month when he was involved in an on-set argument with his costar Patrick Dempsey.
The two actors have reconciled their difference and Washington has apologized for losing his temper.
Following his behavior, Internet reports suggest the medical drama's bosses were unhappy with Washington and planned to draft in La Salle to play Dr. Preston Burke.
However, Rhimes says, "I found (those rumors) not only ridiculous but offensive that we would consider replacing a member of our family.
"And also the (idea) that one black man was interchangeable with another seemed disturbing to me.
"The mood's what the mood's always been. We have a group of people who are more of a family than anything else. We have our fun days, and we have our days when people are tired and the work is hard.
"(The incident) was four and a half seconds of one day in three years. I feel like we've already moved on."
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