Well-connected TV Guide sleuth Michael Ausiello has gossip from the Grey's Anatomy world concerning fallout from the firing of Isaiah Washington. Below are his responses to two questions on the subject...

Question: What's been the fallout from Isaiah Washington's Grey's Anatomy firing behind the scenes?

Ausiello: Well, the folks over at Grey's Anatomy are apparently pretty steamed about comments Isaiah's rep, Howard Bragman, made Friday â€" specifically the part about how Washington jumped through hoops only to be fired anyway.

"Apparently, Isaiah missed the point that he should have been apologizing and working on his anger issues because it's the right thing to do," a source close to the Grey's Anatomy set remarked.

"It wasn't just supposed to be an empty exercise he went through for the sake of appearances."

Question: Why did ABC wait so long to fire Isaiah Washington?

Ausiello: The alternative would've been to fire him right in the middle of Season 3, and that would've been a disaster both legally and creatively. The easiest thing to do was release him at the end of his contract, and that's what happened. What's not clear is when exactly the decision to axe him was made. Some say it was as far back as February; others insist a final verdict didn't come until last week when it was announced. Only a handful of people know for sure, and, unfortunately, one of them (Shonda Rhimes?) is nicknamed the Information Nazi.

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