Grey's Anatomy Jessica Capshaw And Sarah Drew Leaving After Season 14

Two iconic Grey's Anatomy characters are leaving the show after season 14. 

E! News confirmed that Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew will both be leaving their long run on ABC's Grey's Anatomy following season 14. Capshaw plays the beloved pediatric surgeon Dr. Arizona Robbins and has done so for 10 seasons. Drew, who played Dr. April Kepner has been on the show for 9. According to E!, the decision is based on a "creative direction" for season 15. 

"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," Krista Vernoff, co-showrunner and executive producer on Grey's Anatomy, said in a statement. "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."

Grey's creator, Shonda Rhimes, also shared some words on the departing of these two lead females saying, "It's always hard for me to say goodbye to any of my characters. Both Arizona Robbins and April Kepner are not only beloved but iconic—both the LBGTQ and devout Christian communities are underrepresented on TV." She continues, "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."

Drew took to Twitter to share her own words about her character and the show as a whole. She wrote, "I know you're sad. I'm sad too. I haven't really had the time to process this information…For now, I'd like to say: I love you, and I love April, and her story isn't over yet. And the really good news (for me, at least) is that I'm here on set shadowing one of my favorite people, Kevin McKidd, with my beloved Grey's family all week and next, so i get to process all of my feelings surrounded by the community that has nourished and nurtured me for almost a decade. For that, I am so grateful."

According to Deadline, these are the only two characters planned on leaving the show after this season. 

Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays, 9 p.m. on ABC.


Photo: Getty


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