Ellen Pompeo Says She Called Denzel Washington a ‘Motherf*cker’ and Told Him “This is My Set” When He Was Hired to Direct an Episode of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

Ellen Pompeo says she called Denzel Washington a “motherf*cker” and told him this is “[her] set” when he was hired to direct an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. 

Back in 2016, Shonda Rhimes’s Grey’s Anatomy tapped iconic actor, producer, and director Denzel Washington to direct one of the episodes. The episode aired in February 2016 as part of the show’s 12th season. But, the Grey’s star Ellen Pompeo reveals that the real drama happened behind the scenes when she and Washington went “at it.”

During an episode of Pompeo’s “Tell Me with Ellen Pompeo,” she talked to her guest and former co-star Patrick Dempsey about the incident. She explained she and Washington got into it after she improvised a line to another character, which wasn’t in the script. 

“I was like, ‘Look at me when you apologize. Look at me,'” Pompeo says she said to the actor during the scene. “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.'”

She continued: “I was like, ‘Listen, motherf–ker, this is my show,'” Ellen continued. “This is my set. Who are you telling?” Pompeo then mentioned that she has the “utmost respect for him as an actor and director.”

As soon as this got back to Twitter, Black Twitter got back to Pompeo. Pompeo’s name is now trending on the social media platform, with people saying the actress is showing her white privilege.

“Ellen Pompeo really disrespected Denzel Washington and proudly told the world like we were gonna be on her side…,” said one Twitter user. “Ellen Pompeo telling us that Denzel story is like when Liam Neeson told us that story about him wanting to kill a random black man. No one asked. But they know nothing will happen to them if they tell the story because of their privilege,” said another. 

Denzel Washington: Hey folks I’m directing this ep, we’re gonna have a great time 👍🏽

Ellen Pompeo: pic.twitter.com/u6H8Egbohw

— Brooklyn (@BrooklynBoyB) September 30, 2021

Ellen Pompeo publicists and agent seeing this Denzel Washington story play out on Twitter lol pic.twitter.com/pMWWaCeEEY

— CyclopsIsBetterThanWolverine (@Krakoan4Life) September 30, 2021

denzel washington: can you say that line again it was a bit muffled

ellen pompeo: pic.twitter.com/Vg2IbRWhiy

— my opinions (@byeeitsjanea) September 30, 2021

https://twitter.com/PhillipGBurke/status/1443419304435781636

Ellen Pompeo: I’m going to try something different in this scene

Denzel Washington: pic.twitter.com/lwe039YJA1

— tony (@IceCreamTony) September 30, 2021

https://twitter.com/GSGtheOriginal/status/1443498586579243012

https://twitter.com/smotheredpork/status/1443542885949915137

I’m not getting into the Ellen Pompeo thing. I don’t give any thought to ww who use proximity to Black dicks and Black children to validate their comfort in white supremacy.

— Old Picture of Dorianna Gray (@blurbette) September 30, 2021