'Grey's' Knight: Slur made him come out

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- Actor T.R. Knight said hearing a "Grey's Anatomy" co-star call him "faggot" empowered him to announce his sexual orientation to the U.S. media.

Knight, in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, said something happened to him when he overheard an exchange in October between Isaiah Washington and another "Grey's" co-star in which, he said, Washington used the slur.

The matter was resurrected Monday after the Golden Globe awards ceremony in Beverly Hills, Calif., when Washington denied using the derogatory term.

"Grey's Anatomy" won a Golden Globe for best drama series on television.

Washington, when quizzed by a reporter, said "No, I did not call T.R. a faggot. Never happened, never happened."

Knight and other cast members said they don't know what to make of Washington's denial.

"I've never been called that to my face," Knight said. "So I think when that happened, something shifted, and it became bigger than myself."

Shortly after the incident, Knight confirmed to People magazine that he is gay.

"I could've just let it slide and not said anything, but it became important," he said. "It became important to make the statement."

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