Denzel Washington Addresses Ellen Pompeo’s Claim That He ’Went Ham’ on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Set

Denzel Washington isn’t sweating that Grey’s Anatomy controversy you may have heard about. According to the actor, Ellen Pompeo’s assertion that he went “ham” after a particular line reading while he was directing an episode of the popular show, was blown way out of proportion. 

“It was nothing, really,” Washington told E! News’ Daily Pop.

Washington was then asked whether or not he was a class act during his time in the director’s chair, Washington responded, “I try to be. I’m not always. I think I was in that case.” 

As the legend goes, Washington took issue when Pompeo improvised a line during a scene with a fellow actor.

“I was like, ‘Look at me when you apologize. Look at me,’” she said on her Tell Me With Ellen Pompeo podcast. “And that wasn’t in the dialogue. And Denzel went ham on my ass. He was like, ‘I’m the director. Don’t you tell him what to do.’”

Pompeo also said that Washington told her, “I’m the director, don’t tell him what to do.”

She said she responded by saying, “‘Listen, motherfucker, this is my show. This is my set. Who are you telling?’” 

Despite all that, Pompeo said it was an “amazing experience” to work with him.

“So, we didn’t get through it without a fight, but that’s actors for you,” she added. “Passionate and fiery and that’s where you get the magic, and that’s where you get the good stuff. So, it was an amazing experience, it really was.”

This wasn’t the first time that Washington addressed Pompeo’s recollection of events. 

In a recent interview with Variety, Washington said he doesn’t remember the incident in question.

“No, no,” he said when asked about the incident. “But it’s all good.”