Grey’s Anatomy is considered one of the best medical drama TV shows of all time, entertaining viewers since it first aired in 2005. Now in its 21st season, the show is doing well, but outside the realm of TV, it has been caught up in a bit of controversy. The reason and source of all this controversy is one of the former writers and producers of the show, Elisabeth Finch.
Over two years back, the world and fans of the TV show were left shocked when the great many lies of Finch were revealed. A seasoned Hollywood writer, who first gained prominence with her work on True Blood and The Vampire Diaries, she joined Grey’s Anatomy in 2015. She was hired after a Shondaland development executive came across her op-ed detailing her alleged cancer diagnosis.
But as it turned out, she never had any serious diagnosis let alone cancer, but was merely spinning a web of lies that would end up swallowing her career and causing one of the biggest controversies in modern cinema. What followed was a huge exposé and the cast and crew of Grey’s Anatomy being left shocked. So, without any delay, here is everything we know about Elisabeth Finch, her web of lies, and how the Grey’s Anatomy family reacted after hearing the news.
Who is Elisabeth Finch and What Did She Do?
As mentioned above, Elisabeth Finch is a former writer and producer for the hit TV show, Grey’s Anatomy. Born in 1978, she grew up in New Jersey and has an older brother named Eric. Her first major job was when she landed a role as a junior writer on True Blood and later went on to write for The Vampire Diaries.
In 2012, Finch first revealed to her family, friends, and colleagues that she was diagnosed with a care form of bone cancer called chondrosarcoma. Later on, she went on to write a detailed essay for Elle, revealing her suffering and fight with the terrible disease. The op-ed was crucial in landing her a job as a writer for the ABC TV show, Grey’s Anatomy.
While she progressed in her life and career, her lies continued to evolve. To add to her ‘cancer’ act, she continued to keep up the ruse by appearing sicker, wearing scarves over her shaved head, wearing a bandage over a chemo port and was often heard vomiting in the bathroom. But cancer wasn’t the only lie she told. Instead, she used other people’s trauma, including her wife’s to make harrowing stories about her own life.
In the years to come, she revealed she had to undergo a life-saving abortion during her cancer treatment, she lost a dear friend and had to clean their remains during the Tree of Life synagogue massacre, her older brother was abusive growing up, and attempted suicide (he is alive and well and is a doctor). Finch even hinted that she got some help, possibly a kidney, from the True Blood star Anna Paquin and that she also owned a part of Paquin’s home in Ojai, California.
Even her personal life and marriage to Jennifer Beyer weren’t free of such lies but were rather built on the foundation of them. It was Beyer’s instinct and suspicion that led to the discovery of the true Elisabeth Finch. She eventually forced her to come clean, and later when Finch resisted, she went on to write an email to showrunner Krista Vernoff. And thereon, the lies began to unfold. Eventually, it was Evgenia Peretz’s long and shocking exposé for the Vanity Fair in May 2022 that cleared everything up.
How did Grey’s Anatomy Cast Respond to Elisabeth Finch’s Bewildering Lies
Elisabeth Finch’s life and lies have recently resurfaced, explored to the fullest in the Peacock docuseries, Anatomy of Lies. Directed and produced by Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall, the three-episode-long saga perfectly covers the lies that the Grey’s Anatomy star crafted. Following the documentary, the series cast too has opened up about the incident.
Jessica Capshaw (who plays Arizona Robbins) and Camilla Luddington (who plays Jo Wilson) addressed the documentary on their Call It What It Is podcast.
It never occurred to me to not believe her. The things that she lied about, you could never in a million years imagine questioning… Of course I was surprised that she wasn’t who she really said she was, and she was not reporting any experiences that were actually hers. But I wasn’t surprised that someone could do that. And I sort of just felt like, ‘Oh, well, she was really good at that because I believed her.’
Stated Capshaw while she went on to say that the incident seemed like a movie. Meanwhile, Luddington revealed an incident involving the disgraced writer that she had never shared before.
I remember going to Hawaii for the first time, and I was so excited that I could afford going to Hawaii. I was never able to afford something so tropical and glamorous. And I told everybody that I was going to Kauai, and I was really excited. And I was going with my boyfriend who’s now my husband, obviously.
About three days into the trip, the actress was sitting in the bar of a hotel she was staying at when she ran into Finch, who was with someone else. Remarking that it was the most random coincidence, she found it hard to believe that Finch would end up being on vacation at the same time, in the same place, and at the same hotel.
Capshaw also revealed that when she was leaving the show, she had a long conversation with Finch, who appeared to be pretty brokenhearted. However, the actress now doubts whether the writer was even sad at all. Meanwhile, Luddington added that it was hard to believe that someone could lie about having cancer and get away with lying about her entire identity all these years. Other Grey’s Anatomy stars have yet to remark on the situation.
Meanwhile, What Did Elisabeth Finch Have to Say About Her Fiasco
Elisabeth Finch was put on administrative leave in 2022 amid an investigation by Disney’s HR and Legal departments following Jennifer Beyer’s revelation. It was The Ankler who first questioned the validity of her medical diagnosis, leading to rumors and speculations about her life. Following this, Elisabeth Finch revealed that she was going on a personal leave from the ABC series.
In a statement sent to several outlets, including Deadline, she stated back then that she loved the show but would be taking time away to focus on her own family and health. Thanking Disney, ABC, and Shondaland for supporting her, she disclosed no other explanation. Things took an interesting turn when she came clean about everything in a tell-all interview with The Ankler just a few days after.
I’ve never had any form of cancer. told a lie when I was 34 years old and it was the biggest mistake of my life. It just got bigger and bigger and bigger and got buried deeper and deeper inside me.
Finch admitted to the outlet in 2022.
The best way I can explain it is when you experience a level of trauma a lot of people adopt a maladaptive coping mechanism. Some people cut. I lied. That was my coping and my way to feel safe and seen and heard.
She added, revealing the reason for her enormous lies. Since then, the ousted writer has been lying low. But in the wake of the docuseries’ release, she recently issued an apology on her now-private Instagram account (via Variety).
I’ve given no one any reason to believe a word I say. I lied about so much; things so many people have been devastated by in real life. ‘I’m sorry’ feels like the smallest words compared to what I’ve done, yet they are the truest.
She then disclosed that since the revelation of her lies, she has been receiving mental health treatment for nearly three years and is working hard to sustain her life.
The truth is, there is no excuse, no justification—nothing will ever make my lies to anyone okay. Nothing erases the trauma I caused-the fear, the pain, the anger, the tears, the time. And nothing matters more to me than holding myself accountable in every way. I will continue to repair whatever damage I can and ensure I am not the worst things I’ve done. I recognize all of this will take time for people to believe.
Finch ended her apology on this note while also mentioning her regret for lying to her ex-wife Jennifer Beyer. Beyer, on the other hand, did not believe her apology and instead stated it was another one of Finch’s manipulative tactics at play (via Facebook).
Back in the spotlight after the release of Anatomy of Lies, the now-divorced writer’s whereabouts are unknown. But during the time of her bombshell interview with The Ankler, she was living in Topanga Canyon, Calif.