Former “Grey’s Anatomy” writer Elisabeth Finch, whose years-long cancer hoax was chronicled in the 2024 documentary series “Anatomy of Lies,” is getting slammed on social media for soliciting donations amid the ongoing wildfires in Southern California.
Finch apparently urged people to donate money to her, presumably to help wildfire victims, via Venmo, Zelle and Facebook. But she deleted the post after Jamie Denbo — a co-executive producer on “Grey’s Anatomy” — shared a screenshot and warned users not to trust her.
“This is just me. Boots on the ground,” Finch apparently wrote in a since-deleted Facebook post. “It was challenging enough getting dog food while being evacuated and I was at a safe place. So this is for people who have virtually nothing and also have pets with basic needs.”
Denbo rang the proverbial alarm Thursday in a Facebook post of her own to inform users that Finch “is a SCAMMER and a LIAR,” noting that her past cancer fabrication and false claim that her brother took his own life were “well documented” in the 2024 documentary series.
“Unless you want to send her donations of 69 cents for her ‘cancer treatment’ (she doesn’t have cancer) or perhaps ‘in memory of her late brother’ (he’s alive) or anything else she has lied about (everything),” Denbo continued, “DO NOT DONATE to Elisabeth Finch!!”
Finch, who previously wrote for “The Vampire Diaries” and HBO’s “True Blood,” feigned having cancer for years after joining ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2015. She even went on frequent hiatuses for her alleged chemotherapy treatment, as shown in “Anatomy of Lies.”
“I recognize, given my history, people might be skeptical of my fundraising efforts,” Finch told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement Thursday. “I’m trying to make amends in as many ways I can, including helping my community — especially during these difficult times.”
Her confounding cancer hoax began to crumble in March 2022 when ABC’s parent company, Disney, reportedly placed Finch on administrative leave while it investigated. In December 2022, Finch — who had lied to her own girlfriend — finally came clean.
The writer, who has no upcoming projects listed on IMDb, publicly apologized last October.
“The truth is, there is no excuse, no justification — nothing will ever make my lies to anyone okay,” she wrote in a since-deleted Facebook post, per Variety. “Nothing erases the trauma I caused — the fear, the pain, the anger, the tears, the time.”
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“And nothing matters more to me than holding myself accountable in every way,” Finch continued. “I will continue to repair whatever damage I can and ensure I am not the worst things I’ve done. I recognize all of this will take time for people to believe.”