How Grey’s Anatomy Ripped off True Detective Actor Brad Carter’s Remarkable True Story

by | Sep 20, 2016

Brad Carter is an actor and musician, that you may remember from his memorable performances in True Detective (season ONE), Ascension, Sons of Anarchy and more. His debut EP, ‘Field Hand’, is available now (buy it here). Last season the primetime medical drama Grey’s Anatomy ripped off Carter’s personal story and the actor recently wrote about the debacle with his fans. Here’s what happened. 

Three years ago, Brad Carter underwent brain surgery to try and improve his quality of life while he suffers from “Essential Tremor”. The condition is a neurological disorder that causes involuntary and rhythmic shaking. Carter broadcast his seven hour surgery online and it went viral. He played guitar during the procedure and it was one of the most fascinating uses of the internet that has ever been explored, opening several people’s eyes to the condition of Essential Tremor and what it’s like to try and correct the problem that has been affecting Carter for a long time.

GREY'S ANATOMY - "I Wear the Face" - Meredith goes on an ambulance ride with Owen and Nathan to pick up a heart for a transplant patient. Musician & MS patient Kyle Diaz is admitted to Grey Sloan Memorial with a tremor in his hand, and the residents apply for the Preminger Grant. Meanwhile, Catherine continues to insert herself into Jackson and April's business against Richard's wishes, on "Grey's Anatomy," THURSDAY, APRIL 7 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Richard Cartwright) WILMER VALDERRAMA, JERRIKA HINTON

Last season on Grey’s Anatomy, they used this real-life event as a storyline on their show where a musician played by Wilmer Valderrama undergoes a brain surgery procedure to correct MS (multiple sclerosis). During the surgery, Valderrama’s character plays guitar and afterwards he develops an on-screen romance with one of the doctors.

“The least you could have done when you ripped my very personal story off was get the disease right. ET is the most common yet most misunderstood movement disorder on the planet, and the least you could have done was shed some real light on it, instead of changing the condition to MS to keep from appearing quite so unoriginal.” said Carter in his letter to Grey’s Anatomy.

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After watching the episode, because sometimes I accidentally sit through Grey’s Anatomy while my wife watches it, I immediately knew where the writers had swiped the story from since I interviewed Carter a couple years ago and we talked about it. You can read that HERE. The video footage is very well known and has raked in millions of views around the world, but seeing it “adapted” for Grey’s Anatomy in such a clueless and senseless way was supremely disappointing.

“After this surgery you look like Hell, vomit everywhere and feel like dying for days. You certainly aren’t trying to flirt with doctors as portrayed by Wilmer Valderrama sitting pretty, talking shit like he just had a pedicure,” said Carter.

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You can read Carter’s entire Instagram post below by clicking his Tweet. I urge you to do so and re-educate yourselves on Essential Tremor and Carter’s story, because it truly is a remarkable one. The fact that Carter is still able to play guitar as well as he does and act in film/television is astounding. He’s one of the best character actors working today and his story deserves to be told correctly, not half-assed like Grey’s Anatomy did last season…

https://twitter.com/TheBradCarter/status/778094257513046016