Patrick Dempsey is facing some scrutiny after he was accused of “terrorizing” the set of ABC’s hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy.
A new book titled How to Save a Life: The Inside Story Of Grey’s Anatomy paints a dark picture of Dempsey’s days working on the popular show.
He reportedly caused a lot of “HR issues,” and some of the cast members faced PSTD while working with him. The 55-year-old actor portrayed Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd from 2005 to 2015 before a brief return in 2020.
Patrick Dempsey accused of terrorizing Grey’s Anatomy set
Dempsey’s 11 seasons on Grey’s Anatomy were marred in controversy before his character was killed off. Author Lynette Rice spoke to 80 sources who have worked on the show.
In excerpts published by The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday, executive producer James D. Parriott revealed why the actor had to be let go.
Parriott stated: “There were HR issues. It wasn’t sexual in any way. He sort of was terrorizing the set. Some cast members had all sorts of PTSD with him.”
Dempsey was recruited as the star of the show, and after the initial success, he became even more important to the production. His popularity was associated with more power and demands.
Parriott continued: “He had this hold on the set where he knew he could stop production and scare people. The network and studio came down, and we had sessions with them. I think he was just done with the show. He didn’t like the inconvenience of coming in every day and working. He and Shonda were at each other’s throats.”
Patrick Dempsey had issues with Ellen Pompeo
With Ellen Pompeo, he formed an electric on-screen couple, but behind-the-scenes frustration was growing. Pompeo found that he did not work enough.
Writer/producer Jeannine Renshaw has explained: “She was very big on having things be fair. She just didn’t like that Patrick would complain that ‘I’m here too late’ or ‘I’ve been here too long’ when she had twice as many scenes in the episode as he did.”
Renshaw is one of the people in the book who defended the actor by saying: “He would get it. It’s just that actors tend to see things from their own perspective. We all love Patrick. Patrick is a sweetheart.”
Patrick Dempsey reveals why Grey’s Anatomy was challenging
In the same book, Dempsey shared his point of view and revealed why working on the show was complicated. He said: “It’s ten months, fifteen hours a day. You never know your schedule, so your kid asks you, ‘What are you doing on Monday?’ And you go, ‘I don’t know,’ because I don’t know my schedule.”
He added: “Doing that for eleven years is challenging. But you have to be grateful because you’re well-compensated, so you can’t really complain because you don’t really have a right. You don’t have control over your schedule. So, you have to just be flexible.”
Some fans have rushed to social media to defend Dempsey by arguing that he has worked in Hollywood since he was a child, so he knows the value of hard work, and his critics should toughen up.
Others say that this is a hit job, and he is being thrown under the bus.