Sad news today!  Former Grey’s Anatomy dude T.R. Knight has parted ways with his boyfriend Mark Cornelsen.  No reason was given — it never is — but it may have been related to their 16-year age difference.  T.R. recently told Ellen DeGeneres that he wanted to have a family.

According to the actor’s rep, the two-year relationship just “came to a natural end.”  It looks like 2009 is a real year of change for Knight.

Katherine Heigl’s Grey’s Anatomy co-star and BFF T.R. Knight was snapped by the paps heading over to her house this morning. For those of you who are just tuning in to the story, Heigl and hubby Josh Kelley adopted a baby this week from Korea named Naleigh (they will call her “Leigh” for short.) Although the arrival of the new addition has not been announced, several of Heigl’s co-stars have been seen coming in and out of her home the last couple days, presumably to get a peek at Heigl and Kelley’s little bundle of joy. Heigl herself has also been out of dodge for a moment, further adding to the speculation that her mail-order baby has already been delivered.

Normally, I’m a little suspect of people who have initials for a first name, but I make an exception in the case of T.R. Knight.  He just seems to be a nice, normal human being — doesn’t belong in Hollywood at all — who tells it like it is.

In this week’s Entertainment Weekly, Knight reveals that his role on Grey’s Anatomy wasn’t just slowly phased out, but cut suddenly and drastically.

“There just comes a time when it’s so clear that moving on is the best decision,” Knight says in this week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly, on newsstands tomorrow. The actor cites a “breakdown in communication” with Rhimes and says he asked to be let out of his $14 million contract three years early.

“My five-year experience proved to me that I could not trust any answer that was given [about his character, George],” states Knight, who says George evolved into someone he didn’t understand or even respect (the character slept with his best friend, Izzie — played by Katherine Heigl — while he was married to Sara Ramirez’s character, Callie). Knight also resented his noticeable lack of screen time. “It didn’t seem like an ebb to me,” he says. “No other series regular’s character had ever disappeared like mine did this past season.”

In addition to being cut, he also said that series creator Shonda Rhimes wasn’t supportive of his decision to come out of the closet after the Isaiah Washington “faggot” incident. 

However, Knight says complications arose between him and Rhimes immediately after the incident, when he decided to respond to the sticky situation by outing himself. The actor says Rhimes was among those who wanted him to remain in the closet — though in the EW article, the creator herself denies this.

I guess I just give a lot of credit to an actor who makes a decision to walk based on principles.  As opposed to some people coughKatherineHeiglcough who abandon the role that make them a star strictly for monetary advancement.  Knight will now be a starving stage actor as he gears up for his September appearance in Parade and then will star in Lend Me A Tenor on Broadway next winter.  

Grey’s Anatomy cast member, James Pickens Jr.,  has announced that Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight are leaving the show.  Seriously, I don’t possess the blogger hate that seems so prevalent for Katherine Heigl, but it will be a nice reprieve to not have to listen to her constant bitching and complaining about the show that made her famous.  I just want to say “Listen, Katie, you were a nobody before Grey’s.  So suck it up, fuck your dead fiance and cash your paycheck.”  I don’t think there is any doubt that her character, Izzie, will be killed off in a tragic and final way.  Of course, dead never means dead on Grey’s.  Yeah, I don’t watch this suck ass show but even I know about Denny.

Knight, the much less hated departing doctor, is leaving to pursue other interests and will probably be written out in some open-ended way to allow for his return.

At this weekend’s Hot in Hollywood bash, TR Knight showed up with his nearly underage boyfriend, Mark Cornelsen, and Tila Tequila dragged along Courtenay “Least Photogenic” Semel. Seriously, poor Courtenay never takes a good picture. I mean, I’m not the most photogenic person on the planet, either, but I’m not showing up on red carpets every day standing next to one of the most photogenic people on the planet. I hope she gives head better than she gives face. For Tila’s sake. I mean, I assume Courtenay is flaunting this new relationship to get back at Lindsay for dumping her, but honestly these recent photos of Courtenay make Samantha Ronson look adorable in comparison. I don’t think Lindsay’s second-guessing her choice.

T.R. Knight and Sara Ramirez show up to AIDS Walk LA on Sunday.

No sign of Isaiah.

You’d think this would be one of the 12 Steps of Gayhab. Like, making a searching and fearless attempt to do the LA AIDS Walk. That should be on the list.

Ever since Isaiah Washington punched Patrick Dempsey on set and then called co-star T.R. Knight a “faggot” (and then did it again), there have been rumors that he would be leaving the show at the end of the season. Because he sucks and nobody wants to work with him. T.R. Knight and BFF Katherine Heigl have certainly been campaigning for his departure, with T.R. recounting his sob story to every magazine that will listen.

The season finale of Grey’s basically left the door open for either of them to leave: Washington’s character walked out on his own wedding and moved out of the place he shares with Christina, and O’Malley failed his intern exam. (Sorry for the spoiler, but, really, if you haven’t watched it by now, you’re not going to.) So, in the immortal words of Tyra Banks, who goes home? The violent homophobe who appears to be generally detested by the entire cast? Or the gay guy?

Nobody seems to know.

When asked last night if he would be returning next season, T.R. said, “I literally don’t know. It would be nice to know if I’m supposed to report back soon.” Apparently the producers haven’t told him, lest he tell everyone else.

Meanwhile, Us Weekly’s got a source at ABC that says “[Isaiah] will not be back as a series regular. The cast – especially the women – just don’t like him.” Other sources back up this claim, saying that Washington has been taking meetings in NYC and LA for TV series that will film at the same time as Grey’s, implying that he knows he won’t be back.

Washington’s rep denies these accounts, saying that “Isaiah is not off the show. We do not have a contract yet, but we expect to.”

I still have my fingers crossed for some strange twist of fate in which Katherine Heigl gets the boot, and we can get through ten minutes of that show next season without hearing Izzie whine about anything and everything. That would sure be nice.