Grey’s Anatomy: The 10 Worst Things April Kepner Has Ever Done
She quickly became a show favorite, but April wasn’t always nice. Here are the top 10 worst things she has done
Fans of Grey’s Anatomy were sad to hear that Sarah Drew and Jessica Capshaw would depart the show. Drew played two characters in total; she was cast as a patient on Private Practice but was known more for her role as Dr. April Kepner. April made her first appearance on Grey’s Anatomy in Season 6, coming in during the hospital’s merger.
She would then be involved in some of the show’s biggest storylines, including a crisis of faith and discovering her child had osteogenesis imperfecta. Although fans grew to love Kepner by the end of her time, she had to go through a lot of tribulations to get there. Here are the 10 worst things April has done.
Her ‘Mean Girl’ Attitude (S6 Ep5)
The hospital merging with Mercy West saw new characters introduced to the show. Amongst the new residents were April, Jackson (Jesse Williams), Charles (Robert Baker) and Reed (Nora Zehetner). They didn’t start on the best of terms, coming across as manipulative and malicious – especially towards Izzie (Katherine Heigl).
When Izzie kindly requests that Reed occupies another locker, Reed says no while April smirks at her friend’s actions. Further on in the episode, April is also seen laughing at Izzie’s expense as Charles explains how he manipulated her into giving him the passcode. She just comes off as mean and horrible.
She’s Responsible For A Patient’s Death (S6 Ep6)
Dramatic, suspenseful and mysterious: “I Saw What I Saw” had fans on the edge of their seats. This episode saw all interns and residents interrogated after a burn victim unexpectedly died in the ER. No one’s job was safe as they all tried to lay the blame at another doctor’s feet.
By the end of the episode, it was revealed that April was responsible for the patient’s death. April had got distracted and missed a step in the examination. As a result, the patient’s throat was closed off and she went into respiratory distress. April’s negligence was the reason she lost her job (for the first time).
When She Got Derek Shot (S6 Ep23)
The episode “Sanctuary” saw the hospital involved in a shooting spree as the husband of a former patient decides to get revenge. Although his intended targets were Derek (Patrick Dempsey), Lexie (Chyler Leigh) and Richard (James Pickens Jr.), many of April’s friends are killed in the process.
April is the first to raise the alarm, running to Derek after finding Reed’s body. Derek tells April to stay in his office as she would be safe there. Derek realized that Gary Clark (Michael O’Neill) is the shooter and is almost successful in talking him around. That was until April startled them both, with the gunman shooting Derek.
How She Dealt With The Pregnancy Scare (S9 Ep7)
In the episode “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” April and Jackson found themselves involved in a pregnancy scare. April’s return to the hospital saw her begin a secret relationship with Jackson. However, they soon broke up after finding out the results.
Jackson pleases April when he wants to marry her and start a family. It all turns sour when they find out the results are negative. While April is delighted, she fails to notice Jackson’s disappointment. She also hurts Jackson by implying they “dodged a bullet”- failing to see the plastic attending agreed to the marriage because he was in love with her. Sometimes her words could feel like a lethal blow.
Made Matthew Second-Best (S9 Ep23/24)
It was obvious to all that April was in love with Jackson, even when she was dating paramedic Matthew (Justin Bruening). April appears to have moved on after she became engaged to Matthew (“Readiness Is All”). However, the look she shares with Jackson after the proposal suggests otherwise.
April appeared to settle for Matthew after she confessed to Jackson she wanted him. After Jackson’s near-death experience, April was distressed and threatened to call off her wedding if he wished. When Jackson rejected her again, she still planned to marry Matthew. She should have let Matthew go as he deserved more than being the second choice.
Left Matthew At The Altar (S10 Ep12/13)
In the episode “Take It Back”, Japril fans rejoiced when Jackson confessed his love to April. But there was a time and place to do it all. Professing his love during her wedding shouldn’t have been it- especially when he said it in front of his girlfriend.
What was even worse was April running off with Jackson, leaving Matthew at the altar. Matthew was a really good guy who didn’t deserve to be embarrassed like that. It was terrible to hear that he transferred to another hospital because of what she had done. April should have let him down gently.
When She Disregarded Jackson’s Feelings (S11 Ep24)
Season 11 saw April and Jackson’s relationship become strained. After discovering their baby had osteogenesis imperfecta, both characters decided to heal in different ways. April enlisted in the army while Jackson chose to remain at Grey Sloan.
Jackson and April split after she chooses to extend her tour (“You’re My Home”). Jackson explains that he wants her to go, but cannot be with her if she does. He also confronts April for not asking about his well-being when she was away. April gets upset when he suggests he can’t continue to put his life on hold for her anymore. It was harsh but April needed to allow Jackson to heal too.
When She Hides The Pregnancy From Jackson (S12 Ep12 & Ep15)
April and Jackson took a while to get back on the friend-bandwagon after the couple divorced. It came as a huge surprise to fans when April revealed she was pregnant with their child. Only Arizona (Capshaw) and Alex (Justin Chambers) know of her news.
April keeps it a secret from Jackson until he finds out in episode 15. Jackson reacts badly when he hears it from Arizona. Although April says she was trying to protect the plastic surgeon, she was wrong to hide it from Jackson. He deserved to know before their friends. This all could have been avoided if she told Jackson first and not Arizona.
Getting A Restraining Order Against Jackson ( S12 Ep17)
The restraining order against Jackson has got to be one of the worst things April has done. In the episode “I Wear The Face”, Catherine (Debbie Allen) continues to make matters worse for the couple by meddling in their affairs.
Catherine says she’ll advise Jackson to contest for custody and sue April, which she overhears. The trauma attending then decides to file a restraining order against Jackson to stop this from happening. However, she soon regrets it when she finds a peace offering from Jackson in her apartment. It’s a mistake that was hard to fix.
Taking Meredith’s Job ( S13 Ep13)
Season 13 saw the doctors go to war with one another. Richard had many run-ins with Eliza Minnick (Marika Dominczyk), as she replaced him as the director of the residency program. When Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) was suspended after refusing to let Minnick scrub in, Bailey (Chandra Wilson) made April the interim chief of General Surgery. Surprisingly, she accepts the role.
The attendings upset Kepner when they accuse her of lacking loyalty. The attendings disagree with April’s decision because she was “leading the charge for Webber”. Yet, when it comes to her personal gain she jumps on any opportunity available. It comes across as petty and two-faced as she continues to put herself first over her friends.