Ellen Pompeo leaving Grey’s Anatomy has to be one of the most gut-wrenching moments in the show's history, and fans know there have been a lot of those.
Since 2005, Pompeo has been entertaining millions of viewers playing the loveable, yet incredibly complex, character Meredith Grey. They've watched her grow into one of the most sought-after and brilliant surgeons in the Grey’s Anatomy universe and overcome a complicated family dynamic to create a family of her own.
Along her journey, the good doctor has survived several brushes with death, including nearly drowning, a plane crash, a severe beating and most recently, COVID. Plus, she's lost a husband, a sister, two parents and friends. With all that the character has had to overcome, it was easy to think Meredith and her portrayer would be on the show as long as it was on the air.
Sadly, that simply isn't the case as Pompeo's full-time status on the series has come to an end. Naturally, this leaves fans wanting to know why.
Here's what we know.
Top 10 Meredith Grey Moments
Why did Ellen Pompeo leave Grey's Anatomy?
Over the summer, it was announced that Pompeo would only be featured in eight episodes during season 19. Then on November 17, she took to Instagram to seemingly say goodbye to her iconic role. Take a look.
With that said, it appears Pompeo left to pursue other acting opportunities. She actually has a forthcoming show that takes her out of the realm of Shondaland. So admirers of Pompeo won’t have to wait long to see what's next from the actress.
Now in terms of the character Meredith, she leaves Seattle behind for an opportunity in Boston to discover a cure for Alzheimer's disease. After Zola's (Aniela Gumbs) panic attacks about the possibility that her mother would one day succumb to the illness, the move, while speaking to her career ambitions, is rooted in her need to do what's best for her children. It once again proves that Meredith has surpassed Ellis Grey as both a physician and parent.
What is Ellen Pompeo doing after Grey's Anatomy exit?
We should start by informing you that although Meredith's big goodbye on the series as a regular occurred on February 23, it won’t be the last time you see Pompeo in the season. She'll return as Meredith in the season 19 finale. Additionally, you can expect to still hear her voiceovers throughout the duration of the upcoming episodes. You can see her confirm as much in the clip below.
Ellen Pompeo says “I’ll never truly be gone as long as that show (#GreysAnatomy) is on the air” #D23Expo pic.twitter.com/1i8Oof2EcDSeptember 9, 2022
Now as far as where you can expect to see Pompeo after Grey’s, the answer is Hulu. As reported by Deadline, she's starring in and executive-producing an Untitled Orphan Project on the streamer. The logline for the series reads as follows:
"Inspired by the true story of the Midwestern couple who adopts what they believe is a little girl with dwarfism. As they begin to raise her alongside their three biological children, they slowly start to believe she may not be who she says she is. As they question her story, they're confronted with hard questions of their own about the lengths they're willing to go to defend themselves, falling into a battle that's fought in the tabloids, the courtroom and ultimately their marriage."
The eight-episode limited series follows the true story of Kristine Barnett and her ex-husband Michael Barnett, who were charged with neglect after allegations they abandoned their adopted daughter Natalia in 2013 when she was 9. The charges were later dismissed after the Barnetts claimed Natalia was a "mentally disturbed adult woman." Natalia herself has denied the accusations that she is a "grownup con artist."
As more information becomes available about the Hulu series, we'll be sure to pass along an update.
In the meantime, you can catch up with some of your favorite Ellen Pompeo moments as Meredith from season 19 on Hulu. If you want to go deeper into the character from her earlier years on Grey’s Anatomy, you can watch seasons 1-18 on Netflix.
