All was quiet on the Grey's Anatomy front.
Then came Monday night's Golden Globes ceremony and, along with the award for Best TV Drama, the cast of ABC's biggest hit took home a whole new batch of controversy.
Trouble first started brewing in the press room, the ensemble's first stop after leaving the stage following the win, when E! Online columnist Ted Casablanca queried whether or not the gang had sufficiently moved past the on-set altercation last October, when Isaiah Washington was accused of calling costar T.R. Knight a homophobic slur and then getting in the face of would-be peace broker Patrick Dempsey.
After Casablanca posed the question, Washington stepped up to the microphone.
"No, I did not call T.R. a faggot," Washington said. "Never happened."
When Casablanca asked whether then the entire Oct. 9 incident was concocted in the minds of tabloid editors, the show's creator, Shonda Rhimes took over, stating: "I think the best statement is just that things were created in a very odd way by the press that were not necessarily completely reported as true.
"I don't think any reporter made it up," she added, before changing the subject and saying, "We're just excited that we won the Golden Globe."
Dempsey and Knight, who were also in the press room during the interview, remained mum. (A video from the press room shows Dempsey and costar Eric Dane shifting uncomfortably during the exchange.)
But in the aftermath of the Globe lovefest, Washington's seemingly revisionist history was quickly called out. First up was Katherine Heigl.
In a post-ceremony interview with Access Hollywood, Heigl lashed out at Washington. "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...Drawing attention to it and saying the word again is just unnecessary. And I'm probably going to get in a lot of trouble for being that blunt."
The sentiment was echoed by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. In a statement Wednesday, the organization's president, Neil G. Giuliano, lashed out at Washington's backstage remarks.
"When Isaiah Washington uses this kind of anti-gay slur—whether on set or in front of the press—it does more than create a hostile environment for his cast mates and the crew of Grey's Anatomy," Giuliano said. "It also feeds a climate of hatred and intolerance that contributes to putting our community in harm's way."
Heigl, meanwhile, made clear her loyalty on the matter, calling Knight her "best friend" and claiming she would "throw down for that kid...I will use every ounce of energy I have to take you down if you hurt his feelings."
She may not get the chance this time—Knight seems to be fighting this battle himself.
In his first solo interview since the incident, Knight sat down with Ellen DeGeneres on Tuesday and refuted Washington's denial. Knight also said Washington's utterance forced Knight to come out.
"He referred to me as a faggot," Knight said, while disputing initial reports that the incident was sparked because Knight was tardy to work.
Knight said that he was on set but around a corner when Washington, speaking to Dempsey, made the remark.
"Everyone heard it," Knight said before sarcastically adding, "it's an awesome word, isn't it?"
The actor went on to say that he was "under no delusions" that cast and crew might suspect he was gay, and that he was open about his sexuality to his friends on the show, but that it was not information that was in his nature to go public with—that is, not until the aftermath of the dustup got out of control.
"It's not my thing to, like, call up People magazine and be like, 'Hey, you want to know something about me?'...I've never been called that to my face...I could've just let it slide and not said anything but it became important.
"It became important to make the statement."
As for the statement recently made by Washington, Knight has no explanation.
"He denied that he said it. I don't know what to say, really, about that," Knight told DeGeneres.
Washington himself has been giving mixed messages about the incident. While he now denies the slur was ever uttered, it didn't stop him from issuing an apology in October, condemning his "unfortunate use of words."
When the cast appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show the following month, Washington again alluded to the now disputed remark and admitted to some culpability, claiming he "lost [his] cool" but arguing that it—whatever "it" was—"wasn't coming out of a place of animus for Patrick or T.R."
By Monday night, however, Washington was back to denying any wrongdoing or lingering tension, saying he and Dempsey have even taken to singing "Ebony and Ivory" every night.
Any planned duets with Knight, however, may have to wait a little longer.
CORRECTION: The original version of this story quoted Shonda Rimes as downplaying the incident, saying, "It did not happen." Her actual quote is transcribed in full above.