‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Writer Admits to Lying About Cancer Diagnosis, Brother’s Death

Elisabeth Finch, a screenwriter for the hit show “Grey’s Anatomy,” is speaking out after lying about having cancer and the death of her brother.

During an interview with the Ankler, Finch said, “I’ve never had any form of cancer.”

She explained, “I 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.”

The outlet noted Finch told her colleagues in 2012 she was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer known as chondrosarcoma.

When she was not working on writing for the show, Finch was writing essays for Elle, The 🎬Hollywood Reporter and Shondaland.

Not only did Finch lie about a cancer diagnosis, she made up a story about her brother dying of suicide.

“I’ve been gone bc my brother died by suicide,” she said in a note explaining why she was absent from Grey’s writers’ room in 2019.

The note continues, “He was on life support for a short while but ultimately did not survive. I say this not because I need or want anything from anyone, I’m not a delicate flower or whatever, I just want people to know I’m still here, still part of the team.”

However, as the outlet pointed out, her brother Eric is a doctor currently working in Florida.

“I know it’s absolutely wrong what I did,” Finch said.

She continued, “I lied and there’s no excuse for it. But there’s context for it. 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 drink to hide or forget things. Drug addicts try to alter their reality. Some people cut. I lied. That was my coping and my way to feel safe and seen and heard.”