Jesse Williams' recent speech at the BET Awards has ignited an online petition to fire the actor from the ABC series over his alleged racist statements. Showrunner Shonda Rhimes has broken her silence and addressed the issue on social media.
"Grey's Anatomy" cast member Williams was recently honored during the BET Awards where he gave an impassioned speech that some people claimed was a racial rant. After the awards show, an online petition was raised by Erin Smith that called for the actor's removal from the series. Rhimes took to Twitter on Monday, July 4, to respond to the online petition, CNN reported.
The showrunner wrote a blunt message that indicated that she has no need for a petition to dictate how she should act and think. Rhimes wrote, "Um, people? Boo don't need a petition. #shondalandrules." However, she did not clarify whether she would consider firing Williams over his BET speech or retain him for the upcoming "Grey's Anatomy" Season 13.
Williams has been a part of the long-running medical drama since 2009. He portrays the character Dr. Jackson Avery. Jackson also welcomed his and April's (Sarah Drew) baby daughter during the Season 12 finale of the series. Outside of "Grey's Anatomy," the actor is also an activist and was recently honored with a Humanitarian Award during the 2016 BET Awards.
Apart from the online petition that asked showrunners to fire Williams from "Grey's Anatomy," a separate Change.org petition was also raised to prevent his removal, as indicated in the same report. The said petition stated that the actor should not be penalized for speaking the truth about the challenges experienced by African Americans.
Shortly after Rhimes' Twitter comment, Smith, who started the online petition to fire Williams, escalated her efforts to gain online supporters. In an updated Change.org petition, she again called for Williams' removal from the show and for supporters to boycott the network. She cited Rhimes' Twitter response and described it as a "blatant slap in the face to the entire human race."
Smith also mentioned that the showrunner has fired other people for what she claimed as "less infractions." Avid fans of the show may recall that Isaiah Washington, who portrayed Dr. Preston Burke, was dropped from the series in 2007 after an inappropriate gay moment.
Williams and Rhimes have yet to comment on the updated online petition.
Meanwhile, relive the intense moment between Jackson and other characters during April's medical emergency in Season 12: