“Grey’s Anatomy,” the hit ABC medical drama created by Shonda Rhimes and led by Ellen Pompeo, celebrated its 20th anniversary earlier this year. Two decades of plot twists, intense romances and cliffhangers have made it a cultural staple. The show is still airing regularly, now in its 22nd season.

Pompeo, who plays the quick-witted Meredith Grey, a world-class surgeon with a chaotic personal life, has delivered countless unforgettable moments. Others were memorable for a very different reason. In a recent interview on the podcast Call Her Daddy, reported by People, Pompeo revealed that one sex scene became one of the most traumatic experiences of her career. She said the emotion viewers see in the final cut is completely genuine.

The sex scene Ellen Pompeo has never watched

The scene in question takes place between Meredith and George, played by T. R. Knight, in episode 19 of season 2. Viewers have long cringed at the awkward moment, but Pompeo said filming it was even worse for the actors. According to her, neither she nor Knight wanted to shoot it.

The storyline has George confessing his feelings and taking Meredith on a date. Their attempt at intimacy is painfully uncomfortable, something Pompeo says was entirely real for both of them.

“It’s crazy. T.R. and I are such good friends and we had to do a love scene. We were both crying and the scene was so uncomfortable and awkward that he didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to do it. And when we shot it, it was bad. And then the network said there was too much thrusting. In your worst nightmare, you have to do it once. But we had to reshoot that shit and do it twice,” explains the 56-year-old.

Pompeo also claims that she has never seen the episode in which the two have sex, as it was a real trauma for her. So much so that the actress’s feelings on screen are real, to the point of admitting that “I am in full-on tears, the whole entire scene. And those are real tears,” Pompeo concludes about the most awkward moment she has experienced while filming “Grey’s Anatomy”.

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