*Back in 2007 Isaiah Washington was fired from his role as Dr. Preston Burke on the TV show “Grey’s Anatomy” after using homophobic slurs.
During his recent interview with HuffPost Live, Washington said that was the moment “everything just fell apart” in his career.
“I lost everything. I couldn’t afford to have an agent…I couldn’t afford to have a publicist…I couldn’t afford to continue.”
The controversy started when Isaiah used the word “fa***t” during an argument with Patrick Dempsey on the “Grey’s Anatomy” set. The word was used in to reference to their costar T.R. Knight, who came out as gay shortly after the incident.
To add fuel to the fire, Isaiah used the word again in the press room at the 2006 Golden Globes following the “Grey’s Anatomy” win for Best Drama Series that year.
He was let go from the show months later and blacklisted in Hollywood.
The 50-year-old actor explained to the Huffington Post that no one in the industry “wanted to touch him.”
The forced exit from the limelight did, however, have some benefits.
“I became a better husband, a better father and a better artist,” he said.