Ah, Shondaland-- one of the biggest entities in all of television, headed up by the formidable award-winning and record-breaking showrunner, Shonda Rhimes.
Having created such shows as Grey's Anatomy, How To Get Away With Murder, Scandal, and Private Practice, we've decided to take a look back at all of the shows under the Shondaland umbrella, and the incredible cast members who have helped make each of them such a success.
While we're all used to seeing them engaged in dramatic scenes in each of the aforementioned shows, what has taken us by surprise is the amount of shocking secrets that seem to have slipped right into the spotlight throughout the years involving various members of the Shondaland cast. There's a lot to digest...
Whether it's backstage bust-ups, charming childhood memories, or personal struggles that they've been open and honest about with their fans, there are some brilliant things to be found out for any Shondaland super-fan.
Instead of making you go and scour the web for exactly what we're talking about, however, we've done our best to compile the definitive list of Shondaland secrets and scandals in one handy list.
So, without further ado, here are 25 Crazy Secrets About Shondaland's Cast.
Jesse Williams' Divorce And Alleged Infidelity
Jesse Williams may have been one of the later additions to the Grey's Anatomy cast, but that didn't stop the star from immediately working his way into the hearts of viewers as Dr. Jackson Avery -- the son to one of the most prolific surgeons that the Shondaland universe has ever seen.
Always fighting to prove to himself and show that he hasn't simply got to where he is because of his last name, Avery's seen drama both in the operating room and in his personal life. Some of his most harrowing and emotional scenes have come alongside April Kempner.
The drama in Williams' life unfortunately isn't simply reserved for Grey's.
In the real world, he found himself in the middle of a cheating controversy, as he was accused of being unfaithful to his wife with Friday Night Lights actress Minka Kelly.
Williams refused any wrongdoing, but after he and Aryn Drake-Lee finalized their divorce, Williams and Kelly were spotted getting cozy.
Their relationship wasn't one that lasted, but still the drama rolls on for Williams and his ex, as she seeks more in child support payments.
This one shows no signs of slowing down, and we wouldn't be surprised to see Williams in showbiz headlines for months to come.
Viola Davis' Alopecia Areata
As one of the most talented and celebrated actresses of our time, Viola Davis has had the opportunity to leave her mark on a number of iconic and memorable roles.
When she joined Shonda Rhimes' How To Get Away With Murder, however, audiences quickly came to realize they were in for a treat like none they'd ever seen from Davis before.
The role of Annalise Keating is one the star took to like a duck to water, and in one particularly moving and emotional season 1 scene, we see Annalise removing her wig and all of her makeup in the mirror. What many people may not know, however, is how filming that moment may have felt more real than anything else on the show for Davis.
The star first started experiencing the symptoms of Alopecia Areata aged just 28, and while she attributed the hair loss to stress at the time, she's now learned to live with her condition and work around it, finding her strength down other avenues.
Self-esteem issues were a huge part of her earlier years, with Davis admitting she was desperate for others to deem her beautiful -- so much so that she would begin to wear wigs wherever she would go.
Fortunately for Davis, she's beautiful with or without her wigs, and more importantly, she is an incredibly talented performer both on the big and the small screen.
Patrick Dempsey's Diva Demands
Patrick Dempsey's McDreamy may have been quite the catch in Grey's Anatomy, but if the actor's alleged behavior behind-the-scenes is anything to go by, he's got a lot of learning to do to ever reach the same levels as Derek Shepherd.
The passing of McDreamy was one of the most shocking moves Shonda Rhimes ever made with Grey's. It's a show where obviously nobody is safe, but the majority of viewers never thought she would actually pull the trigger on Derek's time at Grey Sloan Memorial.
So just why did Rhimes decide it was time to get rid of Dempsey?
According to a report from Page Six, it's because of the "diva" demands that he would make while on set. The outlet cites a source as saying: "Given all the past problems with Katherine Heigl and Isaiah Washington, there is little tolerance on the show for troublesome talent."
Dempsey's co-star Ellen Pompeo, who plays Meredith Grey, also recently opened up about how she reached out to the actor to see if he would be interested in co-negotiating their salaries, so the pair wouldn't be played off against one another. She alleges that he refused.
With rumors also swirling that Dempsey was having an affair with a Grey's staffer, the drama all proved to be too much, and he was given his marching orders.
Kerry Washington's J.Lo Dance Lessons
Known to the world as the take-no-prisoners Olivia Pope in Scandal, Kerry Washington is a formidable actress with a heck of a lot of talent.
Seeing her as the face of yet another hugely successful Shonda Rhimes series should be enough to inspire any young females looking to make a break into the entertainment industry.
What we've not seen Olivia do much of, however, is dancing. Despite that, this is one of Washington's many talents, and it may be down to the fact that when she first started picking up some moves, they were from none other than Jennifer Lopez.
Washington made the revelation during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she revealed: "I had this very inspiring teacher named Larry Maldonado. For anybody from my neighborhood in the Bronx, he was our role model."
"He had an awesome substitute teacher named Jennifer who would sometimes step in and teach but then she left to move to L.A. and be on In Living Color. I learned to dance from J.Lo! So it was, like, meant to be that I would be famous. Don't be fooled by the rocks that I've got - I'm Kerry from the block," she said.
Honestly, we can't think of anybody better suited to teach dance. Perhaps she'll be convinced to put on a class after her Vegas run?
Isaiah Washington's Alleged Homophobia
As one of the original Grey's Anatomy stars, Isaiah Washington's character Preston Burke will always hold a place in the heart of fans who have been with the show since the beginning.
What we'll never be able to forgive him for, however, is leaving Cristina Yang at the altar on their wedding day. Still, that's nothing when you come to realize just what the actor was getting up to behind-the-scenes...
In late 2006 and moving into early 2007, a huge scandal blew up in Washington's face when it was alleged that he used an anti-gay slur to describe the now-out actor, and his former Grey's co-star, T.R. Knight.
Knight would later confirm that being called the "f-word" by Washington was the catalyst in his public coming out. Still, Washington would deny ever even using the word, which eventually led to his firing from Grey's altogether.
Washington wasn't happy with how the whole situation was handled, but he'd later admit that he did use the word, just not directly in reference to Knight. Instead, he claimed to have used it to describe another co-star, Patrick Dempsey, though he said that it wasn't meant to be taken in a homophobic way.
We're not sure we'll ever get 100% clarity surrounding this situation, but Shonda Rhimes certainly made the right choice in removing Washington from her Grey's cast.
Charlie Weber And Liza Weil's "Secret Dating"
How To Get Away With Murder's Frank Delfino and Bonnie Winterbottom -- played by Charlie Weber and Liza Weil respectively -- have had quite a strange relationship.
The two started off as friends, but Bonnie has always held a bit of a flame for Frank in her heart. Eventually, the pair coupled up in the show's later seasons, sleeping with one another, but trying to keep the truth away from the always-alert Annalise Keating.
What's quite peculiar, however, is how that story thread seems to have found its way into the pair's real lives. Weber and Weil are said to have been "secretly dating" since 2016, according to an "exclusive" piece from Just Jared.
Since that report broke, the pair have been open about their relationship, but never seem to seek out the spotlight to discuss their love for one another.
According to US Magazine, Weber said about falling for his co-star: ""We were great friends [on set] and we found ourselves in a position to be more than that. You spend a lot of time [together] and we, I very much enjoyed spending time away from work and so it all just kind of came together like that... I'm very happy."
Sara Ramirez's Mental Health Struggles
There have been plenty of moments throughout Grey's Anatomy when Sara Ramirez has had the audience in stitches laughing, but also in floods of tears. Her character, Callie Torres, has undoubtedly gone through one of the biggest evolutions that the show has ever seen.
When she first jumped on board, many found her irritating and brash, but through her character development, she become a much-loved staple of the show. Seeing her leave after being a part of Grey's for so long was hard for many fans.
When she's not been in front of the camera, however, Ramirez has been through her own personal struggles. When it comes to her mental health especially, she's faced a number of hurdles that she's had to overcome in order to make her way successfully through life.
One of the biggest struggles Ramirez had in the earlier years of her start in the entertainment industry was with her weight.
She mentions in a piece for Glamour that she lost 25 pounds which led to her booking a TV pilot, but in doing so, she felt like she was being rewarded for treating her body unhealthily.
When the pilot failed to be picked up to series, her eating patterns would return to a much healthier system.
As anybody who has faced mental health struggles will know, they're a daily battle to overcome. We're thankful to see Ramirez tackling her demons in such a positive and forward-thinking way, and can't wait to see what she gets up to on the big or small screen next.
Sandra Oh's Parents' Career Disapproval
Sandra Oh is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars to ever come out of Shondaland. When she left her role of Cristina Yang in Grey's Anatomy, it hit everybody sitting at home right in the gut. She was Meredith Grey's "person," but she would unfortunately not be around for her best buddy anymore.
Though she's clearly done very well for herself in her chosen career within the entertainment industry, not everybody in Oh's life was so supportive of the jump.
During an appearance on Ellen DeGeneres, Oh opened up about how her parents had never initially approved of the career path she had taken.
"My parents at that time looked down on the arts," she explained. "It was hard. They go, 'What's the purpose of it? What is the social purpose of what you're doing?' Because they really, really instilled in all of us that whatever you do has to be good for society."
Fortunately for Oh and her family relations, finding such success within the entertainment industry made her parents very proud. When she was nominated for an Emmy Award after the first two seasons of Grey's, the star would even bring her parents to the ceremony.
We're sure that Oh found bringing her parents to such events much easier after her time in Shondaland.
Katherine Heigl's Alleged Emmy Withdrawal
Katherine Heigl's time on Grey's Anatomy is one marred with controversy. Her character Izzie Stevens has had some eyebrow-raising storylines come her way, and the series truly had a "jumped the shark" moment when she started having visions of her deceased ex-fiancé, even slipping under the covers with the spiritual being.
Though Izzie looked to be having a good time, Heigl herself was less-than-impressed with the direction her character was taking.
So much so in fact, that when she was being considered for an Emmy nomination, the star removed herself from contention, stating that she didn't believe the material she had been given was worthy of such an accolade.
That, of course, angered everybody who was working on the show, building on rumored tensions that had already been simmering behind-the-scenes between Heigl and Grey's writers and producers.
All of the drama led to Heigl eventually exiting the show, and her last hoorah wasn't really anything to write home about.
After complaining about the storylines she was being given, she wasn't even really allowed to say her goodbyes in a proper manner. It was all a bit of a mess, and we haven't heard about how Izzie Stevens is doing since.
Taye Diggs' Extra Digits
One of the biggest names that Shonda Rhimes managed to get on board for her Grey's Anatomy spinoff Private Practice was Taye Diggs, and the star did a brilliant job of bringing his character Dr. Sam Bennett to life across 111 episodes of the medical drama.
With chaos, romance, and all of the usual ingredients sprinkled into a Shondaland show following Dr. Bennett, the character quickly worked his way into the hearts of viewers.
What plenty of people don't know, however, is that Diggs has had his own intriguing and unique medical situations crop up in his personal life. The actor was actually born with 12 fingers, with an extra finger on each of his hands.
As a child, he obviously didn't have the chance to make his own decisions in regards to medical operations --that instead fell to his mother. When she was asked whether or not to have the extra digits removed, she opted to have her son surgically operated on, so as to give him as normal an upbringing as possible.
The choice made was probably for the best. Children can be cruel, and we're not sure how Diggs would have been treated on the school yard if he had a couple extra fingers to show off.
T.R. Knight's Lack Of Screen Time
T.R. Knight's Grey's Anatomy character George O'Malley was without a doubt one of the most beloved characters the ABC series has ever seen.
Unlucky in love, education, and even within his family life, George was somebody who would constantly put others ahead of himself, and that would unfortunately prove to be the trait that saw him wiped out of the show for good.
Pushing a stranger out of the way of an oncoming bus, George would be mowed down and brought into Seattle Grace completely unrecognizable. It was only when he wrote his nickname "007" on Meredith Grey's palm that his friends and colleagues realized their comrade was on the way out.
So why was George taken out of the series? Because of a lack of screen time for the character, according to reports from almost a decade back.
In the first nine episodes of George's final season -- season 5 -- the character would appear on screen for just 48 minutes in total, compared to co-star Sandra Oh's 114 minutes for Cristina Yang.
Rumors persisted that Knight and showrunner Shonda Rhimes had a breakdown in communication as the series moved on, and that's something the actor touched on in a chat with Entertainment Weekly (via CNN): "My five-year experience proved to me that I could not trust any answer that was given [about George]. And with respect, I'm going to leave it at that."
Aja Naomi King's Casting Fears
How To Get Away With Murder is jam-packed with infectious and compelling characters, but there's arguably no one more charismatic than Michaela Pratt, who is played by the incredibly talented Aja Naomi King.
We've seen Michaela go through a lot of heavy stuff, whether it's in her professional or personal life. She at first had an air of arrogance and snobbery surrounding her, but when she lets her confident take-no-prisoners attitude come to the boil, she's better than ever.
Unfortunately for King, it would seem like those traits are ones she could do with a bit more of in her real life.
As one of the cover girls for Marie Claire back in 2017, King opened up about her personal struggles with being a woman of color in the entertainment industry.
Confessing that she could be "outdated in thinking this," the star went on to say: "Because I'm a young black woman and don't see very many being the lead in a film, I have this fear, 'Will I be working?'"
She went on to add: "When I first started in this industry, my goal was to be some best friend. The sidekick. I thought that would be an accomplishment."
Hopefully, King will go on to demand the type of leading roles she deserves. Hollywood, of course, has a long way to go, but it's people like King who will pave the way not only for themselves, but for the actors of color rising up through the ranks in decades to come.
Kate Walsh's Jealous Co-Stars
Clearly one of the standout stars from Grey's Anatomy, Kate Walsh's work as Addison Montgomery was loved by Shonda Rhimes so much that she would base the show's first ever spinoff series entirely around her move to a new hospital.
Private Practice was born from her natural energy in front of a camera, but Walsh's success didn't leave everybody with a good taste in their mouths.
A number of outlets reported that those who had worked with Walsh on Grey's were upset to see her make the move to a separate show, all quoting the same source.
Now of course, this could just be tabloid rubbish built up to cause drama and gain attention, but if true, it's hard to imagine what life would have been like for Walsh behind-the-scenes.
According to Today, the source had said: "The rest of the cast seemed instantly resentful of [Walsh]. They each thought they'd be the one chosen to get their own show, and now they're giving Kate the cold shoulder."
They'd go on to say that Ellen Pompeo, who plays Meredith Grey in the series, was particularly annoyed by the decision, because she was never consulted. It's not something we could see the actress saying in all honesty, at least in the modern day, but who knows what goes on when the cameras are turned off on a television set.
Chyler Leigh's Body Art
We've seen Chyler Leigh tackle a number of roles on the small screen, but she's always seemed to be quite the well-behaved good girl (aside from that strange alternate universe episode of Grey's Anatomy).
As Lexie Grey, she was a bit of a bumbling fool upon her debut, but she made some fantastic changes to become one of the most promising people working at Mercy West.
Unfortunately, Lexie's career wasn't one that would last, as a plane crash would see her wiped out of the show in dramatic and emotional fashion. As shocking as that was, our jaws were left on the floor when we realized Leigh had a huge lower back tattoo in her real life.
It's not something we could ever have imagined the star to have had. Her squeaky clean image is one that's followed her into her personal life, and the large inking just isn't something that immediately computes as being a part of her when you see it for the first time.
The piece is obviously stunning, and Leigh is more than happy to show it off at the right time. She's clearly very proud of the tattoo. She is comfortable in her own skin and able to pull off the dramatic body art.
Jessica Capshaw's Third Audition
We know Jessica Capshaw as Grey's Anatomy fan-favourite Arizona Robbins --a woman who has been through some of the most dramatic twists and turns the show has ever thrown up.
She even lost one of her legs following the season 8 plane crash, with her significant other Callie Torres making the decision to amputate.
It was something that truly tested her resolve, but she came out of it stronger than ever before. If Capshaw had been successful in either of her two previous auditions for Grey's, however, we would never have seen her tackling Arizona's compelling storylines.
According to Buzzfeed, Capshaw first attempted to get on the show as Derek's short-lived love interest Nurse Rose -- a role picked up by Lauren Stamile. She'd then go on to re-audition, but for the role of Meredith's friend Sadie, who was eventually played by Melissa George.
The world works in funny ways. Capshaw was probably devastated to miss out on the first two roles, but she didn't let that stop her in her bid for becoming a part of the world's leading medical drama.
Thank goodness for that, as Arizona has truly been an incredible part of Grey's history. We're sad to see her leaving the series.
Camilla Luddington's Tomb Raider Voice Acting
Camilla Luddington has without a doubt made an incredible mark on Grey's Anatomy since her season 9 debut. At the time, the series was in need of some new blood, and she filled the void left by Lexie Grey and Mark Sloan brilliantly, as Jo Wilson.
With other fantastic roles under her belt, including that time she played Princess Kate Middleton in the William & Kate Lifetime movie, there is one particular world she's been a part of for some time that most people had never even realized.
Back in 2013, Luddington would be successful in landing the lead in the revival of Tomb Raider, one of the world's most popular video game franchises.
Proving to be a huge success, she would go on to return in 2015's Rise of the Tomb Raider, and has recently completed work on this year's Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
She lent her voice to the character, and also went through some meaty motion capture sessions to ensure that what gamers saw on their screens was as realistic as possible.
The year 2015 also saw Luddington become part of the fictional DC Comics universe, when she voiced both The Construct and Supergirl in the video game Infinite Crisis. This didn't see quite the success of the Tomb Raider series, but it's another string to the star's bow, and one she should be incredibly proud of.
Guillermo Díaz's Brief Sopranos Role
We may all know Guillermo Díaz for his time playing the vicious and calculating Huck in Shonda Rhimes' Scandal, but he has quite the interesting career if you take a look at his back-catalogue. Some of his past work is really quite surprising.
We've of course seen him in Weeds in a number of episodes as his namesake Guillermo, and we know of his portrayal of Detective Frank Cordero in No Ordinary Family between 2010-11.
What many people may be surprised to hear, however, is that Díaz actually also had a brief and slightly embarrassing role in The Sopranos.
Nope, he didn't play his usual tough self in the critically-acclaimed mobster series, but instead took on the role of a salesman.
It's a pretty blink-and-you'll-miss-him moment, but still, it's great to look back and see the incredible evolution that Díaz has gone through not just physically (because boy was he skinny back then), but also as an actor.
It's little gigs such as this one that will have helped build up Díaz's résumé, so while it may be a role that he doesn't love discussing because of its embarrassing nature, we're sure he's thankful for it in helping him to gain roles such as Huck in Scandal.
James Pickens, Jr.'s Roping Championship
Richard Webber, love him or loathe him, is a Grey's Anatomy staple. James Pickens, Jr. has done a fantastic job of bringing to life one of television's most relatable and realistic characters.
He may have his flaws, but that's what makes him so human. In the end, you can't really help but root for Richard, and that's something that extends to Pickens' real life.
Now, not everybody is a fan of sports such as bull riding and roping. For many, though, they're an exciting and infectious watch, and Pickens looks to have caught the bug of one in particular. So much so, in fact, that he's an official member of the US Roping Championship Team.
Competing across America, this is a hobby that Pickens has been taking part in for many years. He's even raised money for charity at special roping events.
On his love for the sport, he told Team Roping Journal: "I got out to California and was fortunate enough to get involved with horses on a more serious level. It's been a lot of fun, it's a great escape from the craziness that is Hollywood."
"It's been a nice therapy for me, even if I'm not roping, to get out on the trail with your hose and get away from the madness. It's had a real therapeutic effect on my life," he said.
Chandra Wilson's Soap Opera Obsession
In Grey's Anatomy, we've seen Bailey go through the motions. Whether she's giving her interns stick for not doing as well as they should be doing, or attempting to save the lives of countless people coming through the doors of Grey Sloan Memorial, she's able to command a respect from her colleagues with just a simple look in their direction.
Meredith Grey and her fellow residents may have nicknamed Bailey "The Nazi" upon their arrival at Mercy West, but as time went on, they realized that this was a woman they should all be looking up to rather than berating.
She's taught them much of what they know, and seeing little elements of Bailey's earliest days now come through in Meredith and her colleague's characters is a beautiful bit of writing and continuity.
Can you imagine Bailey being utterly obsessed with soap operas? Not at all, but that's exactly the case for the woman who plays her, Chandra Wilson.
In a chat with USA Today, Wilson admitted that she would sometimes watch up to four hours of daytime television every day.
Because of her busy schedule, however, she would be forced to record her favorite shows to avoid missing out on all of the soapy drama.
Ellen Pompeo's Failed Decompression
As Meredith Grey, Ellen Pompeo has had the responsibility of fronting the world's leading medical drama, Grey's Anatomy, for over a decade now.
It's a challenging job, but one that has earned her an eye-watering amount of cash in an unprecedented deal with Shonda Rhimes and ABC. She's now the highest-paid actress on a primetime TV drama, and it's nothing more than what she deserves.
Earlier this year in a piece for The Hollywood Reporter, Pompeo was incredibly open about her time on Grey's and the behind-the-scenes workings of the show.
As part of that feature, the actress recalled when Patrick Dempsey was let go, and the rush that went on to see him replaced with another typically handsome man.
"I was on vacation in Sicily, decompressing," she says. "It was a long working relationship and it was a tumultuous end and I needed a moment to just chill with some rosé -- and they're calling me, going, 'What do you think of this guy?' 'What do you think of this guy?' And they're sending pictures."
"I was like, 'Are you people f***ing nuts? Why do you feel that you have to replace this person?' I couldn't believe how fast the studio and the network felt like they had to get a pe*is in there," she said.
It's a shame that Pompeo wasn't allowed the decompression time she needed, but we're sure that when all is said and done on Grey's, she'll have plenty of opportunity for rest and relaxation.