A review in last Friday's New York Times of How to Get Away With Murder was criticised on social media.
In it Rhimes was labelled "an angry black woman".
The paper has since issued an apology, with the paper's public editor calling the piece "astonishingly tone-deaf and out of touch".
The description of the show's producer wasn't the only thing to anger readers though.
Viola Davis, who plays the show's main character, is labelled "darker-skinned and less classically beautiful" than other actors.
Rhimes herself took to Twitter after reading the review tweeting: "Confused why @nytimes critic doesn't know identity of CREATOR of show she's reviewing. @petenowa did u know u were "an angry black woman"?
She later wrote: "Wait. I'm "angry" AND a ROMANCE WRITER?!! I'm going to need to put down the internet and go dance this one out. Because ish is getting real."
The paper admitted the piece had been seen by at least three editors before it was published online, but none of them had raised any objections over its content.
Danielle Mattoon, the paper's culture editor, said: "This is a signal to me that we have to constantly remind ourselves as editors of our blind spots, what we don't know, and of how readers may react."
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She's the writer behind some of the biggest shows on TV, but a critique of Shona Rhimes' latest series has been called "racist" and "offensive".