T.R. Knight to leave 'Grey's Anatomy'?

[Perdita]

.R. Knight will not be returning to Grey’s Anatomy next season, according to reports.

The actor, who plays Dr. George O’Malley on the medical drama, is said to have wanted to leave the series for some time due to tension between him and Grey's creator Shonda Rhimes, claims E!.

The 36-year-old had reportedly asked producers to write him out of the programme last December. He is thought to have grown increasingly frustrated with his character’s storylines and lack of face time on camera over the past few months.

Knight's character was last seen on the show's season finale flatlining and being defibrillated after he was struck by a bus.

Representatives for Knight and ABC have declined to comment.

[Luna]

He's in. He's out.

He's back in?

This morning it was reported that T.R. Knight was not returning for the next season of Grey's Anatomy.

But, not so fast, because now there might be hope.

A tweet from show creator Shonda Rhimes suggests that the news of T.R.'s departure is false or as she puts it, "a hilarious, ridiculous rumor."

But is it?

All anyone is sure about is that both he and Katherine Heigl are under contract for another season and judging by Shonda's instant reaction to the news, she clearly wants to keep them on board.

At the fall upfronts for ABC, entertainment boss Stephen McPherson also weighed in on the situation, but gave no definite answer: "They've both signed on [for next season]. I can't say whether or not they'll both be there."

Way to keep the fans dangling.

Our bet: Geroge out, Izzie in.

But we'll just have to wait and see!

[tammyy2j]

Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes is nipping in the bud talk that the role of George — who last was seen barely alive after being mauled, mangled and mashed in a bus accident — will be recast with a new actor.

"A hilarious, ridiculous rumor" is how Rhimes, via Twitter, qualified the speculation.

Getting someone new to play a surgically made-over George would conveniently pave the way for T.R. Knight to vacate the role and exit the ABC serial, as has been rumored for many, many months. The increasingly dusty buzz has been that Knight's disenchantment with his Season 5 storylines begat his conspicuously decreased screen time... which, in turn, is said to have disenchanted Knight even further.

Now, E! Online is reporting that Knight just this week negotiated his departure from Grey's — a neat trick, seeing as he's still on contract through Season 6, if needed. "That story is utterly false," one well-placed source tells TVGuide.com. "Nothing at all has changed in T.R.'s status." A second industry insider deems the aforementioned blog posting as "total B.S."

Rhimes herself recently told EW.com, "There have been lots of rumors about T.R., but T.R.'s never said anything. Take from it what you will."

ABC entertainment boss Stephen McPherson also has weighed in on the uncertain future of Knight's character, as well as Katherine Heigl's ailing Izzie.

"They've both signed on [for next season]," he told reporters at ABC's upfront. "I can't say whether or not they'll both be there."

Reps for ABC and Knight declined to comment for this story.