Shonda Rhimes Says Grey's Anatomy's Opening Sex Scene Was a 'Problem' For Old Male TV Execs

The opening scene of Grey's Anatomy was a "problem" for old male TV executives, says show creator Shonda Rhimes. 

During an appearance on 9 to 5ish with theSkimm podcast, Rhimes recalled the executives who took issue with the show's opening sex scene. "I remember getting called into a room full of old men and they brought us in to tell me that the show was a problem because nobody was gonna watch a show about a woman who would sleep with a man the night before her first day of work," Rhimes said. "And they were dead serious."

The scene sees Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) wake up in her living room next to Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) after a one-night stand and head in for her first day of work shortly after only to discover Derek is essentially her boss. Rhimes was sypmathetic to their concerns because "there had never been a show in which there was a lead character who owned her sexuality" on network TV, but also dubbed them out of touch.

"These guys don’t know anything about what’s happening in the world right now but they’re the people making the decisions," she said. When they questioned what kind of woman would do what Meredith does in the opening scene, Rhimes' business partner Betsy Beers owned up to it. "I said, 'That’s me, I did that,'" said Beers.

"They could not get out of that room fast enough," added Rhimes. 

Grey's Anatomy is currently in its 19th season on ABC. Seasons 1-18 are streaming on Netflix.

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. She was previously a reporter/producer at Decider and is a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.