" A Change Is Gon na Come " was the first episode not to feature Washington 's character , Burke . Washington was officially fired from the series , following an on-set incident with Knight and Dempsey , which had been in the media attention since the commencement of the production for the third season . News reports surfaced that Washington had insulted co-star Knight with a homophobic slur . Following the exposure of the argument , Knight publicly disclosed his homosexuality , which led to Washington 's issuing an apology statement , regarding his inappropriate use of words during the incident . The controversy later resurfaced when the cast appeared at the 65th Golden Globe Awards ceremony , which saw Washington ridiculing homosexuality during an interview , following the statement that denied the occurrence of an on-set incident . After being rebuked by his studio , Touchstone Television , Washington publicly apologized at length for using the epithet in reference to Knight . An issue of '' People '' disclosed Washington 's presence at executive counseling , which led to an undetermined hiatus of his contract . After " Did n't We Almost Have It All ? " , the last episode Washington appeared in , was filmed , the network decided not to give Washington the possibility of a renewal . In a statement released by his publicist , Washington assessed , " I 'm mad as hell and I 'm not going to take it anymore " . In another report , Washington stated he was planning to spend the summer pursuing charity work in Sierra Leone , while working on an independent film . In a subsequent interview , Washington highlighted the unfairness in his being let go from the series , considering filing a lawsuit as a result . He also accused Knight of using the controversy to bolster his own career and increase his salary on the series . Following his firing , Washington began asserting that racism within the broadcasting media was a primary factor in his dismissal from the series , which drew a critical perspective from Rhimes . During his appearance on '' Larry King Live '' , Washington once again denied using a homophobic epithet in reference to Knight
65th Golden Globe Awards
65th Golden Globe Awards
A Change Is Gonna Come (Grey's Anatomy)