When Did Grey’s Anatomy’s Dr. Leah Murphy Leave?

Most characters who leave Grey’s Anatomy get a proper sendoff that wraps up their storyline; however, Dr. Leah Murphy’s exit never got an explanation.

Because Dr. Leah Murphy (Tessa Ferrer) exits Grey’s Anatomy twice — once without announcement — there’s a lot of confusion about when she finally leaves the show. Grey’s Anatomy follows the careers and personal lives of medical professionals in the surgical field at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital (previously named Seattle Grace Hospital). With 19 seasons and counting, many Grey’s Anatomy actors have left the show, moving on to other projects. The show weaves characters in and out of the drama with ease, usually providing some sort of explanation for why they depart.

However, Grey’s Anatomy seemingly forgets to write one main character off the show in season 13: Dr. Leah Murphy. Leah joins Grey’s Anatomy‘s ensemble cast in season 9 as a surgical resident. She works hard in her position but gets distracted by her flings with Alex and Arizona. Outside these two relationships, Leah acts cold and uncaring to others due to her underlying insecurities. Eventually, she gets fired from the surgical program at the end of Grey’s Anatomy season 10. This isn’t the end of her story though.

Dr. Leah Murphy’s Final Appearance Was In Grey’s Anatomy Season 13, Episode 13

The last Grey’s Anatomy installment in which Dr. Leah Murphy appears is season 13, episode 13, “It Only Gets Much Worse.” She shows up in this episode for approximately one minute. During her time on-screen, Leah complains because Dr. Stephanie Edwards takes over a case she wants. After this, the character disappears. She doesn’t scrub in for any surgeries or talk to any other patients. Leah never appears in another episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Neither the show nor Ferrer has ever addressed the character’s absence, leaving fans to speculate about what happened to Dr. Leah Murphy.

Murphy Was Brought Back And Then Vanished

Much of the confusion about Dr. Leah Murphy’s exit from Grey’s Anatomy comes from the fact that she got fired from Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. This happens in Grey’s Anatomy season 10, episode 23, “Everything I Try to Do, Nothing Seems to Turn Out Right,” when the Grey’s Anatomy Chief of Surgery Dr. Richard Webber determines that she isn’t fit to perform surgery. She comes into the hospital after the mall explosion in the next episode, then she leaves to work at Foster Hospital. She briefly returns to the show midway through season 13.

Dr. Leah Murphy works to get re-hired at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in Grey’s Anatomy season 13, episode 6, “Roar.” She puts forth the effort because she’s desperate to study under Dr. Maggie Pierce. The two develop a positive working relationship, but Leah sometimes struggles with understanding Pierce’s way of thinking. Dr. Murphy appears in four more episodes, then she vanishes from Grey’s Anatomy entirely without any further explanation.