‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Ellen Pompeo Spills Details on Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew’s Exits

Grey’s Anatomy fans were shocked when it was announced that actors Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew would be leaving the show after Season 14, and series star Ellen Pompeo recently opened up about how the two women’s characters will be leaving the show.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday at the New York City launch of Young Living Essential Oils’ Seedlings baby care line, Pompeo shared that the two had completed their last day of filming for the show just a few weeks ago.

“I mean, because everything is the last, right? It’s the last time they’ll do this, it’s the last time they’ll do that. It’s the last time they’ll rehearse and it’s really emotional,” she said. “We’re a family and they were both on the show [for] nine and 10 years. Grey’s is such an iconic show. Everybody who’s ever been on the show is meaningful to the show, right? Everybody’s meaningful to the fans.”

As for Capshaw and Drew’s departures, Pompeo assured fans that their exits won’t be too distressing.

“You only get killed off when your behavior is bad. If you’re a nice actor, you die nice,” she explained, pointing to former castmate Sandra Oh as an example.

“[She] left in the most amazing way,” Pompeo said. “She gave everybody so much notice. She knew 10 seasons was all she wanted to do and they don’t get much classier than Sandra Oh. But yeah, these endings aren’t tragic.”

While she couldn’t give away too many details about the May 17 season finale, the actress noted that it will be a “classic Grey’s finale.”

“It’s gonna be devastating,” she revealed. “And then we’re gonna pull you out of devastating and make you smile.”

After Capshaw and Drew’s exits were announced, Pompeo shot down rumors that she had anything to do with the decision, something she confirmed once again when she shared her reaction to the news.

“My first reaction was, ‘What? What do you mean? Why?’ And then you go through levels and stages of grief. It’s hard for them, it’s hard for us, it’s hard for the writer who had to make the choice, [who] had to make the creative decision,” she shared. “You have to try to support the girls. It’s just not easy for anyone, but I don’t want to make it about me. It’s about them and I just tried to be just as supportive as I could be to everyone involved.”

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