By now we’ve probably all heard about the incredibly impassioned speech Grey’s Anatomy star Jesse Williams delivered at the BET Awards last month.
Since the speech—which touched on issues of race, violence and inequality—Williams has become the subject of two petitions. One, which boasts nearly 20,000 signatures, insists that Williams be fired from Grey’s for his “racist rant” and calls for a boycott of the entire ABC network. The other petition, now with over 25,000 signatures, was created in response. It deems Williams a “brave leader” who risked “his job and his career for his beliefs.”
Williams responded to the controversy by tweeting: “Not a single sane sentence in their claim. NotOne”
Grey’s Anatomy creator and producer Shonda Rhimes has also chimed in to the debate via Twitter, with a message of support for Williams.
Um, people? Boo don’t need a petition. #shondalandrules
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) July 5, 2016
Well, Shonda has spoken, and it looks like Dr. Avery will be gracing our screens for the foreseeable future.