Grey's Anatomy's Jesse Williams speaks out after nude photos go viral

Grey's Anatomy actor Jesse Williams has spoken out in response to his nude photos going viral, after pictures from his Broadway show were shared online.

The actor is best known for his role as Dr. Jackson Avery in the US medical drama, most recently starring in Broadway play Take Me Out - which sees him appearing in a full-frontal nude scene.

Since the play launched on 4th April, photos of Jesse's naked scene have been shared widely on social media (thought to be taken by an audience member), with many users commenting on the pics.

Now, Jesse has responded to the attention in a new interview, saying, "Everybody makes such a big deal. It’s a body. Once you see it, you realise it’s whatever, it’s a body!"

Appearing on talk show Watch What Happens: Live with host Andy Cohen, Jesse went on, "I just have to make it not that big of a deal."

After the photo began being shared on social media, production company for Take Me Out, Second Stage Theater shared a statement saying they'd worked to create a phone-free space in the theatre, with phones locked in cases during performances.

They wrote: "It is deeply unfortunate that one audience member chose to disrespect the production, their fellow audience members, and most importantly, the cast in this matter."

They went on: "Posting it on the internet is a gross and unacceptable violation of trust between the actor and audience forged in the theatre community," asking the public not to participate in sharing images.

Meanwhile, Jesse Williams' fellow Take Me Out star, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, responded to the statement, tweeting: "I'm appalled by the disrespect shown to the actors of our company whose vulnerability on stage [every] night is crucial to Take Me Out. Anyone who applauds or trivializes this behavior has no place in the theater which has always been a safe space for artists & audience members.

The play sees Williams starring as a baseball player dealing with homophobia and racism. The actor previously opened up about naked scenes in the play, telling Page Six he was "terrified" about appearing nude on stage.

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