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Showrunner Shonda Rhimes left ABC for a massive Netflix production deal in 2017, and now she’s opening up about why she made the decision to leave the network and its parent company Disney.
Rhimes created a number of hit shows at ABC during her 15 years there including “Scandal,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “How To Get Away With Murder” but said she felt like she was “dying” at the network.
She told The Hollywood Reporter: “I felt like I was dying. Like I’d been pushing the same ball up the same hill in the exact same way for a really long time.”
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In total, Rhimes earned over $2 billion for Disney but an alleged encounter with a TV exec over Disneyland passes was the last straw for the producer.
Per the outlet, Rhimes was allowed one all-inclusive Disneyland pass as part of her contract but she needed another for her nanny as she’s a single mother with three kids. She was able to negotiate that.
Shonda Rhimes reportedly signed a nine-figure production deal with Netflix. (Getty)
However, when the day came for the family trip, Rhimes needed a third pass for her sister as a replacement for Rhimes since she could no longer attend.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rhimes was given the third pass but Rhimes’ request was met with resistance and a high-ranking network exec allegedly told her, “Don’t you have enough?” when she called the person to see what the problem was.
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Rhimes said after the encounter she immediately called her lawyers and told them to “figure out a way” to move her to Netflix because she was done. In August 2017, Rhimes announced the move.
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“Shondaland’s move to Netflix is the result of a shared plan [Netflix Chief Content Officer] Ted Sarandos and I built based on my vision for myself as a storyteller and for the evolution of my company,” she said in a statement at the time.
Rhimes continued: “Ted provides a clear, fearless space for creators at Netflix. He understood what I was looking for, the opportunity to build a vibrant new storytelling home for writers with the unique creative freedom and instantaneous global reach provided by Netflix’s singular sense of innovation. The future of Shondaland at Netflix has limitless possibilities.”
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Her production deal was reportedly in the nine-figure range.
A rep for ABC did not immediately respond to Fox Business’ request for comment.