Things are not looking good for "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington.

Months after a report surfaced that Washington had referred to co-star T.R. Knight as - well, a word I refuse to say, much less print - the actor has found himself in trouble with his co-stars and his network.

The trouble resurfaced when Washington made the following claim at Monday's Golden Globes: "No, I did not call T.R. a f*****, never happened."

Washington's comments have set off a chain of events, beginning with co-star Katherine Heigl's remarks following the Globes:

"I'm going to be really honest right now, he needs to just not speak in public. Period. I'm sorry, that did not need to be said, I'm not okay with it."

T.R. Knight, who appeared on Wednesday's "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," told the talk show host that what Washington said at the awards show was a lie: "He referred to me as a f*****. Everyone heard it."

Knight went on to say that Washington's use of the offensive slur was what forced him to come out of the closet. According to TMZ.com:

Knight also says that he'd never been called by the slur "to his face," and when he heard Washington refer to him in that way, "something shifted, and it became bigger than myself." Shortly thereafter, Knight revealed to People magazine that he is, in fact, gay, but says he never intended to before the incident. "It became important to make the statement," he says.

"Grey's" network, ABC, finally broke its silence Thursday, issuing the following statement:

"We have a long-standing policy to create and maintain respectful workplaces for all our employees. We dealt with the original situation in October, and thought the issue resolved. Therefore, we are greatly dismayed that Mr. Washington chose to use such inappropriate language at the Golden Globes, that he himself deemed 'unfortunate' in his previous public apology. We take this situation very seriously, and his actions are unacceptable and are being addressed."

Responding to ABC's verbal bitch-slap, Washington made this statement late Thursday:

"I apologize to T.R., my colleagues, the fans of the show and especially the lesbian and gay community for using a word that is unacceptable in any context or circumstance. By repeating the word Monday night, I marred what should have been a perfect night for everyone who works on 'Grey's Anatomy.' I can neither defend nor explain my behavior. I can also no longer deny to myself that there are issues I obviously need to examine within my own soul, and I've asked for help.

As my friend Will pointed out earlier today, this kind of nonsense is not only downright unacceptable, it detracts from the entertainment value of the show.

And seriously, people. Have we not learned anything from the Mel Gibsons and Michael Richardses of the world? If you're an ignorant, uneducated, biggoted prick, let your publicist do the talking for you.