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Rush & Molloy have independently confirmed a National Enquirer report (stories this utterly explosive require such a level of tabloid journalistic rigor) that "long-simmering" hunky-TV-doctor tensions between Grey's Anatomy co-stars Patrick Dempsey and Isaiah Washington finally erupted in a physical confrontation on-set this Monday, when Washington decided that he'd had enough of this Dr. McDreamy nonsense and that it was time to choke a bitch. R & M pass along the Enquirer report:

"What are we waiting on?" said Isaiah.

"Not me," said Patrick. "I'm always ready."

"At that point," said the source, "Isaiah said something mean to T.R. Knight" (who plays mild-mannered Dr. George O'Malley).

"That's when Patrick told Isaiah, 'Pick on somebody your own size.

'

"Well, that did it. Isaiah became enraged and grabbed Patrick by the throat and shoved him back a few feet.

"Dr. McDreamy [Dempsey's nickname] almost landed in McDreamland."

When Knight demanded that the pair break it up, the source says, "Isaiah called him a bitch. Isaiah stormed off to his trailer to cool off, while Patrick and T.R. stood there in disbelief.

"The director and producers got involved, and a meeting was organized with the network execs."

Washington came back to the set, and the actors finished their scene, but feelings are still said to be raw, with neither actor offering an apology.

"Isaiah is a theater-trained actor who can't stand the whole McDreamy magazine-cover-boy furor over Patrick," says the source.

The producers would be foolish to squander the kind of behind-the-scenes conflict that can only make the on-screen relationships between their characters richer. We're sure they'll find a way to seamlessly incorporate the real-life tension into the drama, perhaps by having Washington's Dr. Burke enter the already-crowded competition for the devastatingly thin Dr. Grey's affection, setting up a season-long McDreamy vs. McChokey showdown.

(And if any of our readers happened to be on the set when this occurred or are otherwise privy to the details of the fight, by all means, drop us a line.)