Ellen Pompeo Reacts to Grey's Anatomy Firings: What Did She Say?
Paul Dailly
at
.
Updated at
.
Earlier this month, the Grey's Anatomy fanbase was rocked by the stunning news that Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew had been fired.
And the fanbase reacted in a predictable manner: Everyone was upset. That's what happens when you let go of two of the most popular actresses on your show.
There was a lot of chatter online in the aftermath about whether the exits were linked to the new deal Ellen Pompeo inked with the series to continue as Meredith Grey.
On Thursday, Pompeo stopped by The Ellen DeGeneres Show and chatted with Ellen about the whole situation.
“It’s absolutely not true,” the actress confirmed, before putting the exits down to creative reasons as opposed to financial ones.
Related: Grey's Anatomy Round Table: Special Sarah & Jessica Edition!
“I’m not involved in these kinds of decisions,” she continued.
“However, there’s a few problems that you encounter doing a show for 14 seasons. One of them is the writers have a really hard time creatively thinking up new stories for all these characters."
"I think we have 16 regular cast members. It’s always sad when we lose people — whether they want to go or they don’t want to go. It doesn’t make it any easier.”
Grey's showrunner Krista Vernoff clapped back at reports the firings were linked to Ellen's new deal shortly after the news broke.
She specifically took aim at Deadline, saying that their "suggestion" that it was linked to the new deal was "wrong and hurtful and misguided."
Related: Grey's Anatomy Review: Personal Jesus
"It smacks of an old, broken, patriarchal notion that women must be pitted against each other an that one woman's success will be costly to others," Vernoff continued.
You can read the full statement below.
Regarding #GreysAnatomy and @EllenPompeo pic.twitter.com/d2ynURphsR
— Krista Vernoff (@KristaVernoff) March 8, 2018
Despite the showrunner defending her decision, fans have mounted a campaign to boycott the series until both actresses are reinstated.
Is this the beginning of the end for Grey's Anatomy?
For more stories involving Arizona, April, and Meredith, you can watch Grey's Anatomy online right here via TV Fanatic.
Hit the comments.
Grey's Anatomy continues tonight on ABC!
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
