She added, “It’s funny, every Grey’s actor I talk to who was there during that time is still traumatized by that incident. People still talk about it.”

After initially denying his use of the homophobic slur, Washington admitted he had used the word and apologized in a 2007 statement to The Showbuzz, per CBS News. Despite the apology, ABC chose not to renew Washington’s contract in 2007, a spokesperson confirmed to ABC News at the time, though the network declined to comment further regarding his exit.

While Washington’s controversy rocked Rhimes and the show’s cast, it wasn’t the only drama the show—which began in 2005 and is now in its 21st season—had to tackle head-on. In 2008, series star Katherine Heigl removed herself from Emmys consideration because of what she believed to be a lack of quality material.

Following the early scandals, Rhimes explained she had to shift her perspective as the showrunner.

“It was certainly not a challenge I was looking for,” she continued. “It was also not a challenge I expected. When we partnered with [producers] Mark Gordon and [creative partner] Betsy [Beers], I remember thinking, ‘Well, they’ll have to deal with all that stuff and I’ll just write,’ and later realizing that’s absolutely not the way it works.”

According to Rhimes, she soon learned, “If you are the creative brain, you not only have to share your brain with other people, but also everybody looks to you as the leader. I had to figure out how to be a great leader, and that took a while.”

While there’s certainly been drama behind the scenes, read on to see some of the biggest twists and turns throughout Grey’s Anatomy’s 21 seasons.