Shonda Rhimes Flips The Script

The introverted creator of TV's Grey's Anatomy and Scandal is developing her own digital-centric personal brand. Will she be the next Oprah?

- Nicole LaPorte

One Monday afternoon, Shonda Rhimes sent me an email. The powerhouse behind ABC's Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and how to get away with murder launched right in with a story. A Few days earlier, at the network's presentation to advertisers in New York, Executives announced that Scandal's upcoming seventh season would be its last. Rhimes wasn't at the event. She had skipped the trip to New York, choosing instead to live-stream the proceedings “in our Shondaland theater with all of our writers, editors, and the rest of the team.” Being in L.A. made her “glad,” she says, recalling her emotions in a single word. “Why was I glad? Because I didn’t have to actually face it. The decision I made. The decision to end a thing I love.” But there was another reason Rhimes stayed behind, one that was encapsulated by the selfie she included in the email: a black-and-white photo of her in sweats—no makeup, no blowout—staring intently into her MacBook. Rhimes has been busy lately, daydreaming up new projects and businesses fueled by a spirit of unyielding curiosity and experimentalism that she calls, simply, “What If We . . .”