‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Boss Confirms Major Character Leaving Show After Firing Twist

Another doctor has said goodbye to Grey’s Anatomy! The ABC medical drama surprised viewers when Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) fired yet another member of the staff of Grey Sloan Memorial. While the original characters of Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) and Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) are still in the show’s universe, the latest firing will be a permanent one for the show.

“Reunited” saw Bailey fired second-year resident Dahlia Qadri (Sophia Ali) after she rudely confronted her over her decision to fire Meredith in the Season 15 finale. While there were some fans who believed Qadri could stay on the show making a move to the new hospital introduced this season, Pac North, it appears Qadri is heading toward new adventures.

Series showrunner Krista Vernoff took to Twitter after the West Coast airing of Thursday’s new episode to confirm Ali’s exit, revealing the actress is heading to New Zealand to pursue new projects.

Fans responded to Vernoff’s announcement lamenting the character’s exit from the series.

“Oh no!! [single tear emojis] I thought it was just a part of the show, That she’d be back!! I don’t like this!!” One fan commented.

“This has to be a joke. It is nice having a female character wear a hijab. Having that representation,” another user protested.

“Wait, this was for real? Qadri is actually gone and THIS was how we said goodbye?” Another fan wondered.

Along with her recurring role on Grey’s Anatomy, Ali is known for roles on short-lived Freeform series Famous in Love. She is set to appear in the upcoming film India Sweets and Spices, according to IMDb.

In an interview with PopCulture.com, actor Jake Borelli — who plays Levi Schmitt on the show — said Qadri’s outburst for Bailey is only the beginning when it comes to the consequences of Bailey’s decision to fire Meredith from the hospital after she was involved in insurance fraud.

“In this episode we start to get a look further into the hospital and how the firing of Meredith Grey and the absence of her is really affecting everybody,” Borelli told PopCulture.com in a phone interview Thursday, Oct. 10. “I think we’re just starting to glimpse the tip of the iceberg about how this one decision can really affect the entire group.”

“We all came up in this hospital with Qadri, so I think it’s really sad to see her go,” he added. “You’re definitely going to have to watch to see just how [the staff shakeups] affect everyone individually.”

What do you think about how Dr. Qadri exited the series? Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.