Shonda Rhimes has defended Jesse Williams and has said the petitions which have sprung up in response to his empowering speech against racial injustice are unnecessary.
Williams, 34, who is best known for his role of Dr Jackson Avery on Grey's Anatomy, won the BET humanitarian award at the end of June and delivered an impassioned speech highlighting racial injustice, police brutality, and cultural appropriation.
Since his speech, an online petition calling for Williams to be fired from Grey's Anatomy has emerged and following that another petition calling for him to kept on the series has surfaced.
The initial change.org petition which demands Williams to be sacked states: “If this was a white person making the same speech about an African American, they would have been fired and globally chastised, as they should be, but there has been no consequences to Williams' actions”.
The petition which emerged in response is titled ‘Keep Jesse Williams on Grey’s Anatomy and has amassed 5,879 signatures as of Tuesday - around a 1,000 more than the first.
“Jesse Williams delivered a powerful and poignant speech about the many injustices African Americans face … Jesse's speech is NOT a Hate speech,” the second petition writes.
Rhimes, the creator, head writer, executive producer, and showrunner of the medical drama television series Grey's Anatomy, has said the petitions are not needed.
“Um, people? Boo don't need a petition,” Rhimes, tweeted to her 1.25 million Twitter followers on Monday, adding: “#shondalandrules.”
A representative for Williams did not immediately respond to request for comment.
