Grey's Anatomy creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes wants to set the record straight: T.R. Knight and Katherine Heigl are not leaving the show.

"That was a very interesting rumor," Rhimes said Thursday night at the 40th NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles. "And it's not true."

Rhimes was referring to a recent comment in the press attributed to Grey's Anatomy cast member James Pickens, Jr., in which the actor was said to be confirming the long-rumored departure of both Heigl and Knight, two of the series' original stars.

"That was absolutely taken out of context," said Rhimes.

"Things happen, and ... I think rumors become fact very easily. And you know I don't like to tell you what's going to happen on the show - but that is a rumor."

These two are the subject of many rumors.

For his part, Pickens says he meant to wish the pair well in general.

"We've been living with these rumors for a long time," he said. "When the question was posed to me, I was more trying to congratulate Katie and T.R. on whatever they were going to do."

"But, yeah, I don't have any special info about it either way."

ABC's Grey's Anatomy took home three awards, including Chandra Wilson's win for outstanding actress in a drama series. Wilson said she was looking forward to the show's upcoming 100th episode – and insisted things were all good on the set.

"We're laughing at the rumors, as we always do," Wilson said before the ceremony. "Stories come out, and [there are] these big quotes, and we go, 'But that's not exactly what I said.' So, we're busy doing our jobs, doing our work."

Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.