Grey’s Anatomy Writer Accused of Faking Medical History Takes Leave of Absence

Elisabeth Finch, the Grey's Anatomy writer who came under fire for allegedly exaggerating her medical history, has taken a leave of absence from the show. See what she had to say about it all.

By Daniel Trainor Apr 01, 2022 11:25 PMTags
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Embattled Grey's Anatomy writer Elisabeth Finch is taking a break from the show.

On March 31, Finch, who allegedly faked extensive portions of her own medical history, has announced a personal leave of absence from ABC's doctor drama. 

"I will always remain one of Grey's Anatomy's biggest fans," she said in a statement. "I loved the show from day one and had the honor to write for it since season 11. The proudest moment of my career was watching survivors of rape receive the episode Silent All These Years. Grey's Anatomy is one big-hearted, brilliant family. As hard as it is to take some time away right now, I know it is more important that I focus on my own family and my health. I'm immensely grateful to Disney, ABC, and Shondaland for allowing me to do so and for supporting me through this very difficult time." 

Her lawyer, Andrew Brettler, indicated it will also give Finch time to deal with divorce proceedings with her former wife Jennifer Beyer.

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In a statement, Brettler said: "Elisabeth requested a personal (unpaid) leave of absence so she can focus on her health and deal with this very acrimonious—and now public—divorce."

On March 17, the writer was placed on administrative leave from the show after questions about her authenticity came to light. Finch is alleged to have fabricated parts of her medical history, including her cancer diagnosis and having an abortion while undergoing chemotherapy.

Finch, who wrote 13 episodes of Grey's between 2015-2021, often relied on and referenced her own life in her scripts.

In a 2019 episode titled "The Winner Takes It All," Finch incorporated what she said was her rare form of bone cancer into the show. In an essay published by The Hollywood Reporter, Finch detailed the emotional experience of writing the episode.

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"As a person who has been living with a rare form of bone cancer, Chondrosarcoma, for over six years, I've yet to understand what "winning" looks like, what "losing" looks like," she wrote. "Days after I mentioned this in the writers' room, showrunner Krista Vernoff asked me how I'd feel about writing a storyline that mirrored my own."

With or without her, Grey's Anatomy—currently in the midst of its 18th season—continues to chug along as the longest-running primetime medical drama in TV history.

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