Grey’s Anatomy Reveals When Ellen Pompeo Will Leave The Series
Ellen Pompeo will officially leave Grey's Anatomy on February 23rd.
If you (like me) are constantly confused as to exactly *how* Grey’s Anatomy has made it for a whopping 19-seasons, the show may be hitting a major roadblock as Deadline recently revealed that the series has officially set a date for the departure of the woman at the center of it all – Ellen Pompeo – who plays the titular Meredith Grey. Despite her recent issues with the show’s storylines being a little too heavy-handed when it came to the subject content they covered, it will still no doubt come as a shock and upset to fans who’ve been with the series for the last almost two decades. Ellen Pompeo will clock out as Meredith Grey on the show’s February 23rd episode.
The good news is that this year has still seen a stacked cast of favorites, along with a lot of newbies as well, which will hopefully continue to drive the show forward for its loyal fandom. So far, during the recently released fall episodes, fans have watched as Meredith’s daughter, Zola, set her eyes on a school in Boston with Meredith receiving a job offer she couldn’t refuse in the city on the other side of the country from her current location in Seattle, Washington. The decision to move forward with the jump and leave her post in hopes of making a difference doing Alzheimer’s research came this past week for Meredith, in an episode that set the stage for what will be the character’s huge bow-out when Grey’s Anatomy picks up in February.
Still expected to return for the Season 19 finale of Grey’s Anatomy, Ellen Pompeo will continue to work on the production behind the scenes. Her voice will still be heard as the narrator for the remainder of this season, and she will continue to leave her handprint on the series as an executive producer. Despite her departure, the show is still looking good for renewal for what would become its 20th Season.
Over the years, Grey’s Anatomy has boasted some of the biggest names in Hollywood, with many of them departing one by one. There was the shocking death of Meredith Grey’s beloved husband Derek Shepherd who was played by Patrick Dempsey, the heart-breaking choice to leave for Katherine Heigl’s Izzie Stevens in Season 6, and Cristina Yang’s new job offer in Switzerland that saw the departure of Sandra Oh in Season 10. Along with Dempsey, Heigle, Oh, and now Ellen Pompeo, the series has also bid adieu to huge names including Isaiah Washington, Kate Walsh, Brooke Smith, T.R. Knight, Chyler Leigh, Eric Dane, Sara Ramirez, Jessica Capshaw, Jesse Williams – who still makes a guest appearance now and again.
Grey’s Anatomy has spawned multiple off-shoots and spin-offs and led its creator, Shonda Rhimes on an amazing career trajectory, most recently bringing fans of period-piece projects Bridgerton and dramatized true-crime lovers, Inventing Anna. As for Ellen Pompeo, she’s already eyeing up a new project that will see her moving from network television to streaming with Hulu. With a little over two months until Meredith’s big bow, we’re suggesting that Grey’s fans begin to prepare themselves for what will be a heart-wrenching episode.
