On The Jennifer Hudson Show, the Grey’s Anatomy star reflects on Swift’s kindness, their ‘Bad Blood’ music video moment, and the heartfelt NICU music program that inspired it all.

Los Angeles, April 3:
Grey’s Anatomy icon Ellen Pompeo dropped by The Jennifer Hudson Show this week and opened up about her friendship with Taylor Swift—including a touching story about how the Grammy-winning singer made a major donation to a children’s hospital, all from a simple ask.

Pompeo, whose on-screen character Meredith Grey inspired the name of one of Swift’s cats, shared that the two first connected during the filming of Swift’s “Bad Blood” music video. Despite only knowing each other for a short time, Swift didn’t hesitate when Pompeo requested a donation for a cause close to her heart.

“They have an amazing program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles where they make music for babies in the NICU,” Pompeo explained. “The parents record themselves singing or telling stories so the babies can hear their voices during the day. It improves outcomes—but they need money to run it.”

“I asked Taylor, ‘Could you write me a big old check for Children’s?’ and she knew me all but 20 minutes, and that girl wrote me the biggest check without blinking an eye,” she recalled.

Pompeo also reflected on her cameo in Swift’s star-studded “Bad Blood” video, which featured appearances from Mariska Hargitay, Gigi Hadid, Zendaya, and more.

“It was the easiest thing,” she said. “I spent maybe an hour or two on set with Mariska.”

In a fun twist of pop culture homage, Swift named another of her cats Olivia Benson, after Hargitay’s Law & Order: SVU character. The crossover of TV legends and Swift’s feline fandom only added to the charm of the music video.

Pompeo is currently making the press rounds for her new Hulu family drama series Good American Family. You can watch her full interview with Jennifer Hudson on the official show channel.