Why Grey’s Anatomy Killing Off Derek Shepherd Was Necessary Explained By Creator Shonda Rhimes

Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes explains why the ABC medical drama needed to kill off Patrick Dempsey’s fan-favorite character, Derek Shepherd.

With Patrick Dempesey’s character being such a key part of the medical drama, many fans were shocked to see Derek leave Grey’s Anatomy in a heartbreaking death. Dempsey’s Derek Shepherd was almost as synonymous with the show as Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey when the character unexpectedly died in Grey’s Anatomy season 11. As the show’s original leading man, his and Meredith’s love story had been a pillar of the medical drama’s storytelling for almost a decade. Hence, it was shocking when Derek unexpectedly died in a car crash, leaving many viewers devastated.

While Grey’s Anatomy already had its fair share of deaths, Dempsey’s fatal accident ranked as one of the most gut-wrenching. It was also a big gamble for the series as it was unclear how fans would react to losing such an integral part of the series. Despite it being a controversial move, the show has continued on well beyond this moment with Grey’s Anatomy season 20 on its way. However, even after all this time, fans still wonder why Derek left Grey’s Anatomy.

Why Patrick Dempsey Left Grey’s Anatomy

Demsey Returned To The Show For A Guest Role In Season 17

Many Grey’s Anatomy actors left the show early, often in controversial ways so it is not surprising there were questions about Patrick Dempsey leaving the show. Ultimately, Dempsey’s departure from the series was indeed controversial. The actor was still contracted for two years, which was supposed to last until the show’s season 12. The fact that Derek was written out of the series while the actor’s deal was still in effect resulted in murmurs of on-set issues involving him.

At one point, Dempsey and Rhimes were allegedly in conflict, leading to the latter deciding to end Derek’s time on Grey’s Anatomy abruptly. Subsequently, Dempsey cleared the air, saying that the decision to exit Grey’s Anatomy didn’t have anything to do with all of those rumors. Instead, he initiated the move, explaining that he had been tinkering about leaving the medical drama for quite a while before it actually happened. Dempsey didn’t discuss any issues with his co-workers.

Instead, his reason was personal, as he thought that being on a network show full-time was too time-consuming for him and had left him barely any time to spend with his family. It’s worth noting, however, that former executive producers James D. Parriott and Jeannine Renshaw later revealed in their book, How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey’s Anatomy, that there was tension between Dempsey and Rhimes. However, it seems everyone has already moved on from it, as Dempsey returned to Grey’s Anatomy season 17 for several episodes as part of Meredith’s COVID-19 arc.

What Grey’s Anatomy Creator Shonda Rhimes Says About Derek’s Departure

The Show Found Itself With Nowhere Else To Go With The Character

Despite the rumors of conflict as well as Dempsey insisting he was ready to leave the show, Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes had her own reasons for the storyline. Years after the horrific plot twist, Rhimes explains in her Masterclass why they had no choice but to kill off the character. She also discusses why Christina Yang was written off with a feel-good storyline. Like Dempsey’s role, Sandra Oh’s character was so beloved, but at least she got a happy ending in Grey’s Anatomy. Read her full quote below:

Derek Shepherd cannot leave Meredith Grey. He cannot leave and walk away from his wife and children because that would make him a jerk for all time. So storywise, he has to die, which is the worst but also the best possible narrative that you can come up with that’s going to make the entire storyline of those two characters true. If he is the man who we’ve said he is, he is not going to leave unless he dies.

Source: Masterclass/TikTok