"Grey’s Anatomy" fans are being forced to say goodbye to two popular stars. The ABC hit medical show will no longer feature beloved cast members Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew. Jessica Capshaw has been with the hit series for 10 seasons, while Drew has been with the series for eight seasons.
Studio executives made the decision, as they are required to confirm the option, at the beginning of every season. While no deal has been agreed upon for "Grey’s Anatomy" creator and executive producer Krista Vernoff, it’s expected that she will be kept on for at least another season.
As the ratings continue to be strong, other stars are being given pay increases, including Ellen Pompeo. Pompeo recently secured a massive new deal worth $20 million per year.
'Grey's Anatomy' losses based on creative reasons
However, network executives have said that the decision to cut the two stars was based on the creative direction with the proposed storyline. Executive producer Shonda Rimes released a statement saying that the two characters exiting are part of the legacy of "Grey’s Anatomy," and said thanks for the incredible work by Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew. She later said the writers just follow the story wherever it may go. Rhimes also said that we may see these characters again, so it may just be a temporary goodbye.
Rhimes said that these two characters, one being a lesbian and the other being a devout Christian, represent communities that do not receive fair representation on television.
RT if you're not ready to say goodbye to them💔 #GreysAnatomy pic.twitter.com/OaQgs9tv34
— Grey's Anatomy (@AllGreysThings) March 9, 2018
Cinema Blend has said that both of these cast members started out as recurring characters, before becoming staple characters in the show.
Drew’s character April Kepner, is an attending trauma surgeon. Capshaw’s character Dr. Arizona Robbins is a key head of fetal surgery and a key board member at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Both characters have become favorites among the fans. They both have more than 1.9 million followers on their Instagram accounts.
'Grey's Anatomy' stars routinely leave
The question remains in terms of how the show will get rid of these characters. Previously, the show has killed off characters and others have been sent packing. While many possibilities remain, its been suggested that the easiest way to let characters go is to kill them off. ABC was forced to eliminate Derek Shepherd when Patrick Dempsey asked to be released from the series in 2015.
when sarah and jessica get to the last table read of grey’s anatomy of this season and they find out that their characters are getting killed off i hope they pull a katherine heigl and don’t show up to work
— sarah + jcap’s warrior (@aprilswarrior) March 9, 2018
The series continues to lose a series regular at least once a season, as characters including Stephanie, Callie, Riggs and Murphy left recently. However, as Pompeo has agreed to continue and become the highest-paid female on TV, "Grey’s Anatomy" will continue to tell their story, season after season, especially with the announced spin-off.
