Ellen Pompeo Signs New Grey's Anatomy Contract
Matt Richenthal
at
.
It's okay, Grey's Anatomy fans.
You can go ahead and exhale now.
ABC renewed Grey's Anatomy for Season 13 several weeks ago, but many supporters of the show still had a pretty important question for Shonda Rhimes and company heading into the fall:
Would the Grey in Grey's Anatomy stick around?
Would Ellen Pompeo still be the star of the series?
We can now answer in the affirmative because Deadline confirms Pompeo has signed a new contract with the drama.
Sources say Pompeo will earn over $300,000 per episode next season, while it sounds as if this is just a one-year deal.
We're still working to check on the actual length of the contract.
The agreement comes on the heels of the third major cast member farewell in three seasons, as Sara Ramirez announced her exit soon after the Season 12 finale aired last month.
Sandra Oh, of course, said goodbye two years ago, while Patrick Dempsey's Derek Shepherd was controversially killed off on Season 11.
Back in March, Justin Chambers hinted that he was close to signing a new deal, while Kevin McKidd was optimistic about his future as Owen.
Jessica Capshaw, meanwhile, recently inked a multi-year deal with the series; while Chandra Wilson and James Pickens, Jr. are still working on new contracts.
Even after all this time, and even after losing so many big names, Grey's Anatomy was television's third-rated drama in 2015-2016, trailing only Empire and The X-Files.
Pretty incredible, huh?
It's safe to say at this point that Grey's Anatomy will be on the air for as long as Shonda Rhimes wants Grey's Anatomy to be on the air.
Look for it to air once again at 8 p.m. on Thursday nights this fall.
Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.
