T.R. Knight is finally talking openly about why he asked to leave the hit show 'Grey's Anatomy' with Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello.

T.R.'s character, George, was onscreen for 48 minutes in the first five episodes of last season (compare that to Sandra Oh's Christina, who got 119 minutes). Yet T.R. didn't feel comfortable discussing the situation with the show creator Shonda Rhimes due to a "communication breakdown."

"My five-year experience proved to me that I could not trust any answer that was given [about George]," he explains. "And with respect, I'm going to leave it at that."

It sounds like some of the problems between T.R. and Shonda may have begun when Isiah Washington used a slur to describe the actor. T.R. says Shonda was one of the people who did not want him to come out, although Shonda contradicts that.

"I think she was concerned about having my statement come out so close to the [initial] event." Rhimes denies this: "I said, 'If you want to come out, that's awesome.'"

T.R. also disliked George's storyline in the fourth season (when George cheated on his wife, Callie, with best friend Izzie), so when his character practically disappeared in the fifth season, T.R. decided it was time to go: even if it meant terminating a $14 million contract.

"There just comes a time when it's so clear that moving on is the best decision."

"From an outsider's perspective, I get the [impression that] 'He's just a spoied actor... he doesn't know how good he has it," he says. "There are a lot of people who would like to be in my position. But in the end, I need to be fulfilled in my work."

What a tough, tough position to be in! A lot of people would endure an uncomfortable situation if it meant earning $14 million over the course of a few years.

What would you do in a position like that: ask to leave or just collect the paycheck?

You can read the entire interview in next week's issue of Entertainment Weekly (which hits newsstands tomorrow).

Photos by INF