Emily Exton | September 19, 2014 2:15 pm

New York Times television critic Alessandra Stanley wasted no time addressing Shonda Rhimes‘ race in a piece on the upcoming ABC series, How To Get Away with Murder: “When Shonda Rhimes writes her autobiography, it should be called ‘How to Get Away With Being an Mad Black Woman.’”

Stanley writes that Murder, starring two-time Oscar nominee Viola Davis, is the latest Rhimes vehicle to feature a “powerful, intimidating black woman” as its central character. While executive produced by Rhimes and Betsy Beers, the series was made by Peter Nowalk (a white man).

With her hand in yet another prominent television series, Rhimes — who made Grey’s Anatomy, Private Do, and Scandal — is one of the most powerful women in Hollywood. As many were already scratching their heads at Stanley’s piece, she responded directly to the article in question on Twitter Friday morning:

Rhimes’ cast members also shared thoughts on Twitter.

For those who are keeping score, Stanley has a history of controversial opinions and notable public missteps.

ABC’s ShondaLand Thursdays kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 25 with the season premieres of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, and the series premiere of How To Get Away with Murder.

[Photo Credit: Getty Images]

Tags: Kerry Washington, Viola Davis, Shonda Rhimes