Shonda Rhimes Got Police Protection After Receiving Death Threats From ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Fans
Shonda Rhimes has revealed that she had police protection and was forced to hire private security during her final seasons working on Grey’s Anatomy as fans began to threaten her safety.
In an interview with The Sunday Times in anticipation of Bridgerton Season 3, the prolific writer and showrunner said she had to step back from engaging with Grey’s fans before exiting as showrunner in 2015.
Despite being understanding of the show’s loyal fanbase, Rhimes was shocked when that passion took a turn for the worse.
“Social media changed,” she said. “Fans have passionate feelings, and I was always fine with that. I understand the characters felt like their friends. They were my imaginary friends too. That’s why I was writing them. And I think people just had very strong feelings about what happened with their friends. But then it became weird.”
In the last few years of her involvement on Grey’s, Rhimes began to receive death threats from fans who disagreed with the various season finales.
“They got mean,” Rhimes said. “And you never knew who was going to really take offense in the wrong way.”
As a result, she had to have a police car parked outside of her house for a week at a time each time a season came to a close. Rhimes noted that her children’s safety was undeniably a factor in her decision to take a stand. The How to Get Away With Murder producer adopted her first daughter in 2002, adopted her second in 2012, and welcomed her third daughter to the family via surrogacy in 2013.
“I wanted to just be able to walk out my front door and hang out with my kids and not be worried,” she explained. “I would lay awake at night with stress.”
The threats didn’t stop there. Eventually, the Scandal creator had to hire 24-hour security at her Los Angeles home “because people are dangerous and strange.”
“I had some very helpful friends who’d had similar experiences, who were able to give me a lot of perspective, and who were adamant that if you can’t live normally then you’re not going to be able to live,” she shared.
As Rhimes looks forward to her latest hit and upcoming talk of the ton Bridgerton Season 3 – starring Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton as the franchise’s newest romantic leads – she also looked back at some of her favorite television franchises. In the same interview, Rhimes shared that she wishes she was the one who created the hit, decades-long, British sci-fi series Doctor Who, which is returning in a 2024 franchise refresh starring Ncuti Gatwa. “I have been obsessed with that show forever,” she confessed.
Bridgerton, Season 3 Part 1 Premiere, Thursday, May 16, Netflix
