“Grey’s Anatomy” stars Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew are leaving the ABC drama, Variety has confirmed. The two actors will depart at the end of the show’s current and 14th season.
“The characters of Arizona and April are permanently woven into the fabric of Grey’s Anatomy thanks to the extraordinary work of Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew,” said executive producer Krista Vernof. “As writers, our job is to follow the stories where they want to go and sometimes that means saying goodbye to characters we love. It has been a joy and a privilege to work with these phenomenally talented actresses.”
“It’s always hard for me to say goodbye to any of my characters,” said executive producer Shonda Rhimes. “Both Arizona Robbins and April Kepner are not only beloved but iconic — both the LBGTQ and devout Christian communities are underrepresented on TV. I will be forever grateful to both Jessica and Sarah for bringing these characters to life with such vibrant performance and for inspiring women around the globe. They will always be a part of our Shondaland family.”
Capshaw and Drew’s departures follow the signing of series star Ellen Pompeo to a lucrative deal that will keep her with the drama franchise and pay her as much as $20 million per season. Rhimes last year signed an overall deal with Netflix worth $100 million, that takes her away from her longtime home at ABC Studios, which produces “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Deadline first reported the departures.
