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LOS ANGELES - Isaiah Washington has lost his job on the hit ABC medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," five months after creating a furor with his use of an anti-gay slur.

Washington's contract option was not renewed for next season, series producer ABC Television Studios said Thursday.

"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore," Washington said in a statement released through his publicist, Howard Bragman, without elaboration.

He drew fire after using the anti-gay epithet backstage at the
Golden Globe Awards in January while denying he'd used it previously on the set against cast mate T.R. Knight.

Gay rights groups and cast member
Katherine Heigl, who publicly denounced Washington, were among his most vocal critics.

"This is something that will have changed the scope of his life," Heigl told Entertainment Weekly last month. Washington was "sorry and embarrassed" for the mistake, she said.

Washington tried to make amends and said he was seeking therapy.

He also met with officials from the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and filmed a public service announcement in which he said "words have power" to hurt or heal.

The May finale of "Grey's Anatomy" opened the door for the departure of his character. Burke was on the verge of marrying Dr. Cristina Yang (
Sandra Oh), but her doubts at first delayed and then derailed their splashy wedding.

Later, Yang found that Burke cleared out his favorite possessions from their apartment.

In May, Bragman said the actor intended to spend the summer working and not worrying about the show. Washington intended to continue his charity work in Sierra Leone, which a DNA test showed to be his ancestral home, and work on an independent movie.

EW.com Exclusive
Isaiah Washington Breaks His Silence
The controversial star talks to EW.com about being fired from hit ABC drama ''Grey's Anatomy,'' his relationship with the show's cast and crew, and his future in Hollywood
Craig Sjodin
By Paul Katz

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How are you feeling about what happened last week? Did you think it was fair?
ISAIAH WASHINGTON: I don't know if it's a question of ''fair.'' I'm saddened by the outcome. I did everything that the producers and the network asked me to do. I came back under great duress and stress, and thought I was doing the job I was hired to do. I thought that was going to speak for my future at Grey's, but apparently that wasn't the same vision that the network and studio had for me.

Why do you think the decision was made by ABC? Was Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes happy about it?
I knew she was aware of the decision. But you have to understand that she's at the helm of one of the top-rated scripted shows on television.

Were you in touch with Shonda after you were fired?
She called me on Thursday of last week (June 7) and told me that I would not be returning to the show. Just like she personally called me and invited me to the show. It was full circle.

When was the last time you talked to Shonda?
Yesterday.

There are rumors you may file a lawsuit against ABC.
I don't know anything about that.

Have you heard from many of your castmates?
No. Everyone is still on vacation. I don't expect to hear from my castmates. I did talk to Chandra Wilson and I got a text message from Kate Walsh. Everyone's doing their own thing. People are still trying to enjoy their summer before they get back to the grind. I think a lot of people are out of the country. I'm still getting calls from people discovering that this change has occurred. (EW also spotted Washington receiving a hug and hi-five from former cast member Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Denny) at the Chateau Marmont in L.A. the day he was let go.)

Would you consider you and T.R. Knight to be on good terms?
I don't know. You have to ask T.R. that.

Anything you'll miss about Grey's?
I'll miss working with the team. I think the past season we got our rite of passage and we pretty much all learned what we can and we can't do...like any other new show or fledgling child trying to find its legs. Season 4 is going to be stronger, better and wiser and smarter, and I had hoped to be a contributor to that. That's not the reality.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: There are rumors that you were originally supposed to be the lead in a Grey's spin-off. Did Shonda ever approach you?
ISAIAH WASHINGTON: Me for a spin-off? No. No. Never. I love Shonda Rhimes and her writing ability and I felt like she made me a better actor because of her talent. I was invited back by Shonda to be part of the team and I always had a team player mentality about that. I took it as a humbling opportunity to be invited and be part of the team. I'm going to miss her writing. She's an extraordinary talent. She's very collaborative and allowed me to create the Dr. Burke that the world has grown to love.

Would you be open to cameo on Grey's?
Dr. Burke is probably the greatest challenge I've ever had. I've studied the medical world extensively. I enjoy surgeons and I'm glad they do what they do and I gave it everything I had. If Shonda calls me and says, ''Look we want you to do something for Grey's Anatomy'' I probably would not hesitate. But I don't really see that happening.

How do you think this is going to affect your career?
I'm working right now [on the indie film, The Least of These]. I can only take one day at a time. I can only apologize so many times. I can only accept so much responsibility. All the players involved have taken care of what we needed to take care of in-house — and the media took it in a different direction. I hope that everyone is happy for the outcome for Isaiah, but Isaiah will go on and do what I love to do. And I have to go about the business of letting people know what's written about me is not the truth. I'm merely an actor, a husband, and a father who's trying to do a great job and be very grateful and understanding that I'm in a very privileged position. This isn't a time for me to be looking back; it's only a time for me to be looking forward. I just hope people can understand in the industry and otherwise that it's a horrible misunderstanding what transpired with our show and it was blown out of proportion. If the naysayers out there feel that some justice has been served and that they're happy with the outcome, so be it. It's incumbent on me to take what I do, do it well, grow from the experience, and move on.

Do you have any concerns about being labeled as difficult as an actor?
Hopefully I'll have an opportunity to address a lot of that down the road. It'd be very cleansing for my soul to let the fans and the general public see a side of me that I feel was horribly represented in the press.

What type of offers have you received?
I've gotten a ton of offers in both film and TV, and now my agent Ben Press and I are just sorting through all the options. There is one network in particular that's very interested. But I don't want to say anything specific until it's a done deal.

Why did you decide to make the movie The Least of These?
Actually, I decided to do the part based on the recommendation of Sandra Oh. I was telling her about it last fall and she felt it was a strong role that would be good for me. Since Sandra is a Golden Globe winner among other things I always take her advice. She's a smart lady.

Would you work with ABC again?
(Laughs) I don't know. That's up to ABC.

THURSDAY JUNE 21, 2007 01:15 PM EDT

By Stephen M. Silverman

Isaiah Washington Photo by: Frazer Harrison / GettyIsaiah Washington: 'They Fired the Wrong Guy' | Isaiah Washington
Isaiah Washington, whose contract was not renewed for season four of Grey's Anatomy, is now saying ABC made a mistake letting him go.

"They fired the wrong guy," the actor, 43, tells his hometown paper, the Houston Chronicle.

According to the Chronicle, Washington said his costar, T.R. Knight, was the one who should have been fired for stirring up controversy and creating a negative work environment – to win a raise and a bigger role for himself.

"I have to clear my name," Washington says. "I'll start from the beginning. I'm telling everything. So here's the truth."

In January, Knight told Ellen DeGeneres that Washington used a homophobic slur against him during an on-set argument with Patrick Dempsey. "I've never been called that to my face," Knight said.

"That's a lie," Washington tells the Chronicle. "I used the word during a disagreement with Patrick. I apologized for that. We shook hands and went back to work."

When word of the dust-up became public, Washington apologized, checked into rehab, met with gay leaders and released a public-service announcement decrying the use of hate speech.

Washington tells the Chronicle that he was wronged and may file a lawsuit. "My livelihood, my honor and dignity and my name have been so challenged," he says (The paper has no comment from Knight, and says network executives declined to comment.)

Adds Washington: "I was not fired for making homophobic slurs. I did everything I said I would do. I offered to go to counseling, to do a public service announcement. I wanted everyone to know I was remorseful."

Still, he says of his firing: "I'm not angry. I'm disappointed."