‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Shocks With Surprise Exit of Major Character

This post contains spoilers for Grey’s Anatomy Season 17, Episode 14.

Fans of Grey’s Anatomy were met with the news of another bittersweet exit in Thursday’s episode. Jackson Avery, played by Jesse Williams for 12 seasons, will be leaving Grey Sloan Memorial hospital after a season of inner turmoil. Tonight’s episode saw him reunite with the love of his life, April Kepner (Sarah Drew), and kicked off his farewell tour. Deadline reports that his final episode will air on May 20.

“Jesse Williams is an extraordinary artist and activist. Watching his evolution these past 11 years both on-screen and off has been a true gift,” Grey’s Anatomy executive producer/showrunner Krista Vernoff said in a statement. “Jesse brings so much heart, such depth of care, and so much intelligence to his work. We will miss Jesse terribly and we will miss Jackson Avery — played to perfection for so many years.”

“I will forever be grateful for the boundless opportunities provided me by Shonda, the network, studio, fellow castmates, our incredible crew, Krista, Ellen and Debbie,” Williams said about his exit. “As an actor, director and person, I have been obscenely lucky to learn so much from so many and I thank our beautiful fans, who breathe so much energy and appreciation into our shared worlds. The experience and endurance born of creating nearly 300 hours of leading global television is a gift I’ll carry always. I am immensely proud of our work, our impact and to be moving forward with so many tools, opportunities, allies, and dear friends.”

Williams is an activist who has made it clear that he has ambitions beyond acting. Since starting on Grey’s Anatomy, Williams has directed several episodes, as well as an episode of Rebel. He also has built quite a resume as a producer, most recently Two Distant Strangers, which won the Oscar for live-action short film last month.

So far, Grey’s Anatomy has not been officially renewed for season 18 but is expected to get the green light from ABC any day. With Williams leaving the show, Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, and James Pickens Jr. are the only remaining original cast members, with Kevin McKidd being the fourth-longest since joining in season five. After Giacomo Gianniotti’s exit earlier in the season and Williams on the way out, fans can’t help but worry who might be next.