If he were a character on Lost, Isaiah Washington might be staring down some eerie black smoke right about now.

Instead, the Grey's Anatomy star appears to be getting off with a public mea culpa in the wake of an ABC statement Thursday calling out the actor for his use of the word "faggot" backstage at the Golden Globes Monday.

"We have a long standing policy to create and maintain respectful workplaces for all our employees," ABC said. "We dealt with the original situation in October, and thought the issue resolved.

"Therefore, we are greatly dismayed that Mr. Washington chose to use such inappropriate language at the Golden Globes, that he himself deemed 'unfortunate' in his previous public apology. We take this situation very seriously. His actions are unacceptable and are being addressed."

The "original situation" was last fall's scuffle that ensued when Washington, waiting around to shoot a scene, allegedly referred to costar T.R. Knight as a "faggot" during an onset argument with Patrick Dempsey.

But when asked by E! Online columnist Ted Casablanca backstage at the Globes if the cast had moved past the conflict, Washington, 43, stated bluntly: "No, I did not call T.R. a faggot. Never happened, never happened."

The claim drew raised eyebrows from Knight, who voiced his surprise at Washington's denial during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Tuesday, as well as the ire of other costars and the network, which should have been basking in the glow of Grey's Anatomy's win for Best TV Drama Series.

Within hours after ABC said the situation was "being addressed," Washington released a lengthy apology via a network publicist.

"I apologize to T.R., my colleagues, the fans of the show and especially the lesbian and gay community for using a word that is unacceptable in any context or circumstance," Washington said.

"By repeating the word Monday night, I marred what should have been a perfect night for everyone who works on Grey's Anatomy. I can neither defend nor explain my behavior. I can also no longer deny to myself that there are issues I obviously need to examine within my own soul, and I've asked for help.

"I know the power of words, especially those that demean. I realize that by using one filled with disrespect I have hurt more than T.R. and my colleagues. With one word, I've hurt everyone who has struggled for the respect so many of us take for granted. I welcome the chance to meet with leaders of the gay and lesbian community to apologize in person and to talk about what I can do to heal the wounds I've opened," he continued.

He concluded his apology with a shout-out to Knight, who ended up having a highly public coming-out party in People magazine last year once reports of Washington's comment made the rounds.

"T.R.'s courage throughout this entire episode speaks to his tremendous character. I hold his talent, and T.R. as a person, in high esteem. I know a mere apology will not end this, and I intend to let my future actions prove my sincerity."

The actor has fired his personal publicist, Cynthia Snyder and hired the PR company 42West to begin coordinating damage control.

E! Online's Marc Malkin reports that Washington is having a sit-down with his coworkers (minus network execs) on Friday to give them a chance to express their feelings about his recent behavior.

"It's a meeting so he can hear them all out," a source close to the situation said. "And it will go on as long as it needs to go."

Depends on how long it takes to give Washington a recap of what happened on the contentious day in question.

Discussing his recollection of the incident and Washington's attempt to deny he ever uttered the offensive word, Knight told DeGeneres that his fellow actor did, in fact, refer to him as a "faggot."

"It's an awesome word, isn't it?" Knight joked. Then, more seriously, "Everyone heard it."

"I've never been called it, and you know you go through things in life, and you lose friends when you go through the process—whatever your journey is," he said, admitting that it's not in his nature to make his private life public, but that this incident propelled his announcement. "But I've never been called that to my face."

So, we'll see if Washington's current bid to make amends is enough to appease not only Knight, the network (which banks on the success of Grey's and its nearly 21 million weekly viewers) and cast mates like Katherine Heigl (who said after the Globes that Washington "needs to just not speak in public"), but also the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which called Washington's post-Globe statement "inexcusable."

GLAAD president Neil Giuliano said Thursday that he was "optimistic" after hearing Washington's apology.

"His acknowledgement of his actions—and of the hurt and harm his actions have caused—is an important first step toward healing his relationships with his cast mates, his fans, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community," Giuliano said.

Giuliano said he planned to meet with Washington early next week.

"We look forward to exploring opportunities for moving forward together and healing some of the wounds of the past four months.”