There is a scandal brewing over on the set of Grey’s Anatomy!
According to The New York Post, one of the scriptwriters Elisabeth Finch was placed on “administrative leave” from the ABC medical drama amid an investigation from Disney’s human resources and legal departments over allegations that she lied about her medical history. What’s even worse is that she wrote many of her medical experiences into episodes of the series!
According to a report first published by The Ankler, the 44-year-old was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer the year before she was hired for Grey’s Anatomy in 2015, forcing her to undergo chemotherapy and terminate a pregnancy. She also reportedly lost a kidney and part of her leg and underwent knee replacement surgery, only to learn that a doctor misdiagnosed her condition. Beyond writing episodes for the show, Finch documented her health experiences in personal essays for publications such as Elle, The Hollywood Reporter, and even Grey’s Anatomy producer Shonda Rhimes’ website Shondaland.
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The Vampire Diaries writer also made an appearance on the 2015 episode of the show titled “Silent All These Years” – which The Ankler noted featured a plotline about a sexual assault victim and was inspired by her experience after visiting the UCLA Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center. You can actually ch-ch-check it out (below):
And as we mentioned, many of her supposed health struggles ended up in the popular series, and the network is now trying to determine whether her personal history was exaggerated or not! Multiple sources told The Hollywood Reporter that colleagues started doubting Finch’s history after she suddenly claimed she had a family emergency and left the writer’s room to address the situation one day.
When co-workers reached out to her wife, Jennifer Beyer, they noticed something wasn’t right about Finch’s story as it actually sounded a lot like incidents from Beyer’s life. The outlet reported that her partner later met with Disney and Shondaland executives to raise these concerns and that is when things took a turn, leading Finch to be placed on administrative leave. Furthermore, Finch and Beyer – who got married in 2020 – are said to be going through an “acrimonious divorce” at the moment.
Many industry colleagues who have known Finch over the years are shocked by the rumors, saying they are unsure what to believe since there is not a “smoking gun” to confirm the speculation that she hasn’t been truthful about her past. One of her longtime co-works told The Hollywood Reporter:
“You believe this poor woman was going through this awful thing and you want to support her.”
Her attorney Andrew Brettler said in a statement about the allegations:
“Ms. Finch will not disclose her private health matters. Likewise, she will not speak about her pending divorce from her estranged wife, Jennifer Beyer, or comment on any statements that Ms. Beyer may have made to third parties about Ms. Finch.”
Meanwhile, a representative for Shondaland told People:
“Only Elisabeth can speak to her personal story.”
Wow! If these reports are true, this whole situation is certainly f**ked up! What are YOUR thoughts on this scandal, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF in the comments (below).
[Image via ABC/YouTube]