Why Did 'Grey's' Get Rid of the Gay Romance?

Nov. 10, 2008 — -- Something's sketchy at Seattle Grace.

The hospital home to "Grey's Anatomy" seems to specialize in shady cast changes. The latest: actress Brooke Smith's abrupt dismissal from the ABC series, just as things between her and her on-screen lesbian love interest, Callie Torres, played by Sara Ramirez, were getting juicy.

Smith's character, Dr. Erica Hahn, left the drama Thursday without the drama deserving of her multiple-season tenure. After a spat with Callie at Seattle Grace, she simply walked off screen and off the show, nary a tear shed. Last week, Smith told Entertainment Weekly she was shocked to learn her "Grey's" fate:

"I was very excited when they told me that Erica and Callie were going to have this relationship," she said. "And I really hoped we were going to show what happens when two women fall in love and that they were going to treat it like any heterosexual couple on TV. ... I was floored when they told me [I was being let go]. It was the last thing I expected."

Show creator Shonda Rhimes said the decision to write Smith off "Grey's" had nothing to do with the escalation of the romance between Callie and Erica.

"Brooke Smith was obviously not fired for playing a lesbian," Rhimes said in a statement. "Unfortunately, we did not find that the magic and chemistry with Brooke's character would sustain in the long run. The impact of the Callie/Erica relationship will be felt and played out in a story for Callie."

Asked to comment on the decision, ABC declined to elaborate beyond Rhimes' statement.

It's not the first time controversy has swirled around gay issues on "Grey's." Last year, Isaiah Washington was dismissed from the show after he was accused of calling fellow cast member T.R. Knight a "faggot," angering the gay community and fellow cast members. Washington has denied the accusation.

At the time, ABC didn't reference Washington's slur, saying instead that the studio had decided not to renew his contract. Washington weighed in on Smith's dismissal in the latest issue of TV Guide, saying, "The fact is that just before the holidays, you have a mother, a wonderful actress removed from a steady income without the proper reasoning behind it. You look at the way another consummate professional's being treated because her character, her story line, potentially made producers uncomfortable."

Other television insiders agree Smith's canning was likely caused, at least in part, by her character's lesbian leaning and in-depth sexual discussions.