Originally published on 10/24/25

Grey’s Anatomy can be summed up best by this Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) quote: “Everyone is leaving and everyone is dying.” Since the show debuted on ABC back in 2005, several cast members have departed the show, either due to the death of their character or new career opportunities. Some were sadder than most—we are looking at you, Dr. Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) and Dr. Mark Sloan (Eric Dane)—whereas others had more of a natural way to say goodbye. Below, we break down the 10 most shocking Grey’s Anatomy exists, including what the actors themselves have to say about their time at Grey Sloan Memorial hospital. 

Dr. Preston Burke played by Isaiah Washington

After three seasons, Isaiah Washington left the show in a rather abrupt manner. Reports claim it was because he made a homophobic slur, but that didn’t stop him from returning to the series seven seasons later. 

“Sandra Oh was the key to getting me to come back in 2014,” Washington wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) in April of this year. “She refused to leave the show without my return and she won that battle. I love me some Sandra Oh!” 

Dr. George O’Malley played by T.R. Knight

Dr. George O’Malley (T.R Knight) was a fan-favorite character in Seasons 1 through 5, making his death sad and shocking, especially given the fact that he was the first major character to be killed off. Knight did return in Season 17 for a dream sequence with Pompeo, but his time on screen was brief. 

“My five-year experience proved to me that I could not trust any answer that was given [about George],” Knight told Entertainment Weekly of his exit in 2022. “And with respect, I’m going to leave it at that.”

“From an outsider’s perspective, I get the [impression that] ‘He’s just a spoiled actor…he doesn’t know how good he has it,’” he continued. “There are a lot of people who would like to be in my position. But in the end, I need to be fulfilled in my work.”

Currently, Knight is starring in the Tony winning play Stranger Things: The First Shadow, and as of publication it’s unclear if that role will transfer over to Season 5 of the hit Netflix sci-fi show. 

Dr. Lexie Grey played by Chyler Leigh

If you ask any Grey’s Anatomy fan who they think deserved better, they will most likely tell you “Lexie Grey.” After appearing in four seasons of the show, Lexie survived a plane crash but then was eaten by wolves in the Season 8 finale, which naturally resulted in her death. This decision, Leigh said, was made so she could spend more time with her children.  Following that, Leigh did return for one episode in Season 17, alongside her onscreen sister Pompeo (a.k.a Dr. Meredith Grey), and love interest Dane (a.k.a Dr. Mark Sloan). 

“It was really special to be able to be part of it and especially telling such a powerful story,” Leigh told Entertainment Tonight of her return to the show in 2021. “To be able to close the chapter for Lexie, and to appear in a way where she’s not eaten by wolves. Kind of brings a little life back to it… It was a special experience to be able to be part of that.” 

Dr. Mark Sloan played by Eric Dane

At the beginning of Season 9, it’s revealed that Dr.Mark Sloan also died due to injuries from the plane crash. In a 2024 appearance on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, Dane said that he thinks he was “let go” from the show because of his drug and alcohol addiction. 

“I wasn’t the same guy they had hired, so I understood when I was let go. And Shonda [Rhimes, the show’s creator] was really great. She protected us fiercely. She protected us publicly. She protected us privately,” he continued. “But I was probably fired. It wasn’t ceremoniously like, ‘You’re fired,’ it was just like, ‘You’re not coming back.’” 

Dane did return for one episode with Leigh, as mentioned above, back in 2020 and is still acting to this day. He also recently shared that he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and has since become an advocate for the disease. 

Dr. Cristina Yang played by Sandra Oh 

Sandra Oh was on Grey’s Anatomy for 10 seasons, and during that time people fell in love with her character’s quick wit, work ethic and unapologetic personality. Sadly, though, that all came to an end in 2014, when Oh decided to leave the show. Unlike every other cast member thus far, she has yet to return to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. 

“No. I was completely in tears—but not broken. It was not a place of being sad. It was a tremendously moving place. It’s not like I broke down and I was crying. I felt so filled with the meaning of this moment that it was very emotional,” Oh told The Hollywood Reporter of her last day on set in 2014. “I do want to try to be specific about the quality of the emotions because many people can be sad—and it is sad—but I was extremely moved.” 

Dr. Derek Shepard played by Patrick Dempsey 

In Season 12 of the show, the beloved “McDreamy” was killed off in a car crash. This was a result of actor Patrick Dempsey wanting to explore other things and move on from life as a hotspot neurosurgeon—however, some reports claim he was let go from the show because he was terrorizing the set. 

“It’s 10 months, 15 hours a day. You never know your schedule, so your kid asks you, ‘What are you doing on Monday?’ And you go, ‘I don’t know,’ because I don’t know my schedule,” Dempsey said of the show in the 2021 book How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey’s Anatomy. “Doing that for 11 years is challenging. But you have to be grateful, because you’re well compensated, so you can’t really complain because you don’t really have a right.”

Dempsey did return to the show in 2020 for a few episodes, though he only acted with his onscreen wife Meredith during that time.

Dr. April Kepner played by Sarah Drew

Dr. April Kepner started out as an over the top resident that no one liked. Soon though, she became a fan favorite character who remained on the show for nine seasons before leaving in Season 14. Like so many others, actress Sarah Drew did come back to the show twice following her departure, but only for quick little cameo moments. 

“We were unceremoniously let go in a way that felt mean and unjust, ” Drew said in 2024 on the Call It What It Is podcast, hosted by Grey’s Anatomy actresses Jessica Capshaw and Camilla Luddington. “And because of that, the outpouring of love was so enormous it was like you were sitting there watching people say all the things that they love about you after you’re dead.” 

Dr. Jackson Avery played by Jesse Williams

Dr. Jackson Avery entered the show at the same time as Dr. Kepner but unlike Drew, actor Jesse Williams, remained at the fictional Seattle based hospital for much longer. WIlliams still makes regular appearances on the show, despite not being a main cast member anymore, because his departure was simply to allow him to go out and pursue other projects. 

“Being there for that long, now I know the character as well as anybody,” Williams told Entertainment Weekly of his exit in 2021. “People come and go—some writers come and go, directors come and go, but I’m that character all day, every day. So it’s just really beautiful for that to be acknowledged, and to feel included. It’s a privilege.” 

It was recently announced that Williams would be returning to the show for Season 22 following the departure of Caterina Scorsone, which we will get into later. 

Dr. Alex Karev played by Justin Chambers

In Season 16, everyone’s favorite bad boy turned softie Alex Karev left the show in a rather abrupt manner, leaving many fans both sad and frustrated. The departure was a professional one, Chambers said, as he wanted to focus more on his family and other projects. 

“After years of being a familiar face as Karev, it felt exciting to step into a more complex, antagonistic role and show a different side of myself as an actor,” Chambers told US Weekly in October of 2024. “Grey’s Anatomy has given me a freedom that many actors don’t often experience, and now I’m excited about exploring passion projects both within and outside of Hollywood.” 

Dr. Amelia Shepard played by Caterina Scorsone

The most recent Grey’s Anatomy departure came in the form of Caterina Scorsone, and while she is reportedly coming back in the new year, the actress’ departure did seem rather sudden–especially given that Scorsone has played Dr. Amelia Shepard in some way or another since 2010.

As of publication the actress has not commented on her absence and, according to multiple outlets, the explanation for her time off is due to budget cuts. Williams is expected to return to the show in her absence. 

Link to original: https://www.womansworld.com/entertainment/tv-shows/most-shocking-greys-anatomy-exits-and-why-the-stars-left