Rhimes says some fans “got mean” and made her “lay awake at night with stress.”
Shonda Rhimes says she had to have police cars parked outside her home and hire private security in the past due to some “Grey’s Anatomy” fans.
The iconic TV producer and writer explained in an interview with The Sunday Times that her relationship with fans of the medical drama has radically changed over time.
“Social media changed. Fans have passionate feelings, and I was always fine with that,” she said. “I understand the characters felt like their friends. They were my imaginary friends too. That’s why I was writing them. I think people just had very strong feelings about what happened with their friends.”
“But then it became weird,” she added.
Rhimes noted that with every season finale — episodes known to amp up the drama and, sometimes, result in the death of beloved characters — she began to have police park outside her L.A. home for a week because she would get death threats from fans who weren’t pleased with how the season ended.
“They got mean,” she continued. “And you never knew who was going to really take offense in the wrong way.”
“I just wanted to 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.”
Rhimes stepped down as showrunner of “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2015 and in 2020 moved out of L.A. to a state The Sunday Times noted she won’t name.
The TV titan has also been the creative genius behind shows like the “Grey’s Anatomy” spinoffs “Private Practice” and “Station 19,” “Scandal,” “How to Get Away with Murder” and “Bridgerton.”
