Fan-Favorite Grey’s Anatomy Star Briefly Leaving Show

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Amelia Shepherd is taking some time away from Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

On the October 16th episode of *Grey’s Anatomy*, Caterina Scorsone’s character announced she was taking a break after the devastating hospital explosion that concluded season 21. This explosion resulted in the death of Dr. Monica Beltran, played by Natalie Morales, in the season 22 premiere.

The actress won’t be gone from the show for long. TopMob News reports her character will be back in the operating room in 2026 after a short break.

In the show’s 450th episode, it was revealed that Amelia will be taking a break from her job as a neurosurgeon.

As the show continues to be successful, its creator, Shonda Rhimes, has admitted she never expected it to become so popular, and she’s now unsure when or how it will eventually end.

Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe this! Shonda actually said she had the ending figured out around episode 150! Can you even imagine?! She told Craig Melvin on *Today* that now, with over 450 episodes, she’s totally lost! She wasn’t even sure they’d make it past season four or five, honestly! The fact that we’re at season 22 is just… mind-blowing. Seriously, 22 seasons! It’s incredible!

After twenty years in the business, she’s discovered that the secret to a long-running show with a changing cast is to prioritize the overall story.

I’ve always been captivated by the overall narrative, more than any single person within it, and honestly, that means tough choices have to be made – people *will* face consequences, even death. It’s a hard truth, but it’s what makes the story so compelling to me.

No matter how the story concludes, the creator of *How to Get Away With Murder* wants to ensure a happy ending for all the characters. She believes the fans have earned that much.

Shonda shared that viewers have continued to watch and enjoy the show, remaining enthusiastic and deeply involved in the story.

For more shocking Grey’s Anatomy moments, read on.

The first episode of *Grey’s Anatomy* started with a surprise for new intern Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo): she discovered that the attractive man she’d spent the night with—played by Patrick Dempsey—was actually her new boss, the famous surgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd. Talk about an awkward beginning!

Viewers were as shocked as Meredith when Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) unexpectedly arrived at Seattle Grace and famously confronted her with the line, “You must be the woman who’s been having an affair with my husband.”

Early in its second season, *Grey’s Anatomy* aired a dramatic scene after the Super Bowl. Meredith made the risky decision to put her hand inside a patient to prevent a live bomb from exploding. Just when viewers thought the danger was over – as bomb squad chief Dylan (played by Kyle Chandler) carried the device away – it detonated, tragically injuring him.

Viewers became invested in the romance between Izzie (Katherine Heigl) and Denny Duquette (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) as he waited for a heart transplant during the second half of season two, rooting for them to find happiness. However, when Izzie’s desperate attempt to get him a heart sooner backfired and led to his death in the season finale, it became clear that Grey’s Anatomy wasn’t afraid to break hearts and didn’t guarantee happy endings.

Season three’s ferry accident featured two shocking moments: Meredith being thrown into the icy water and almost drowning, and her surprising confession that she’d actually stopped fighting to stay alive. Which was more surprising?

At the start of season three, Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) joined Seattle Grace Hospital as an intern. Her arrival echoed Derek’s first meeting with Meredith, though thankfully, it didn’t lead to the same immediate connection. Lexie quickly introduced herself to George O’Malley in the intern locker room. As it turned out, she was Meredith’s younger half-sister, one of two daughters raised by their father, Thatcher, and his second wife, Susan, adding another layer to the hospital’s complex relationships.

Two and a half seasons after his character died, Denny unexpectedly reappeared – as a ghost who was having a sexual encounter with Izzie. This bizarre scene was meant to subtly hint to both Izzie and the audience that something was seriously wrong with her health. It was eventually revealed she had advanced melanoma, stage IV, which had spread to her brain and other areas.

Everyone thought Izzie was going to die in the season five finale, but the mystery surrounding George’s disappearance should have been a warning sign. When Meredith recognized the handwriting of the unidentified bus accident victim – ‘007,’ a nickname from his past – she desperately tried to stop the surgery, but it was too late. He died on the operating table.

The season six finale of *Grey’s Anatomy* is remembered as one of the show’s most shocking and upsetting episodes. A grieving widower, fueled by loss and arriving after the hospital merged with Mercy West, opened fire, resulting in the deaths of some doctors and injuries to others. The terrifying image of Dr. Bailey being pulled from under a bed remains particularly disturbing, though thankfully she survived. Sadly, Meredith and Derek’s unborn baby didn’t make it; Meredith believed Derek had died and suffered a miscarriage after he was shot.

Just two seasons after a devastating shooting at the hospital, Shonda Rhimes created another major crisis for her doctors. In the season eight finale, a plane carrying Meredith, Derek, Cristina Yang, Lexie, Mark Sloan, and Arizona Robbins crashed while they were traveling to Boise, Idaho for a surgery. The crash left them stranded and injured, and no one knew they were missing. Sadly, Mark and Lexie died, Arizona lost a leg, and Derek almost permanently lost the use of his hand.

When Sandra Oh decided to leave *Grey’s Anatomy* after season 10, the show found a dramatic way to say goodbye to her character, Cristina. They brought back Isaiah Washington as her ex-fiancé, Preston Burke, who had left her at the altar years earlier. Burke offered Cristina his hospital in Switzerland, giving her a reason to leave Seattle. The surprising part? The show brought Washington back despite a very public and controversial exit, which included using a hateful slur against his co-star, T.R. Knight.

The season 10 finale of the show said farewell to Cristina and introduced Dr. Maggie Pierce, played by Kelly McCreary, as the new head of cardio-thoracic surgery. In a surprising reveal at the end of the episode, Maggie told Richard (James Pickens Jr.) she was the daughter of the renowned Dr. Ellis Grey. Richard wasn’t the only one shocked by this news – it turned out he had another daughter, and Meredith had another sister.

Everyone was shocked when Derek died near the end of season 11. He was killed in a car crash shortly after helping a family involved in another accident. It was especially surprising because Patrick Dempsey had just renewed his contract, suggesting he wasn’t planning to leave. While Shonda Rhimes may have felt it was the only way to remove the character without invalidating their eleven-year relationship, it was still a painful moment for viewers.

Mer had already faced a lot, but in the twelfth season’s ninth episode, she experienced a terrifying attack by a patient. The attack resulted in a broken jaw that had to be wired shut to help with her hearing. A particularly powerful scene featured Ellen Pompeo portraying Mer’s panic when her children weren’t able to visit her while she recovered.

The show addressed Alex Karev’s unexpected departure after Justin Chambers left by revealing he’d reconnected with his ex-wife, Izzie, years after she disappeared and filed for divorce. He discovered she’d been secretly raising their twins on a farm, and he chose to be with them instead of continuing his life in Seattle. It was a completely shocking twist no one predicted.

During season 17, viewers saw Dr. Andrea “Andrew” DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) tragically die. After dealing with mental health challenges, DeLuca had become an attending physician at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. However, as is common in *Grey’s Anatomy*, his progress was cut short when he was stabbed by someone connected to a human trafficking operation.

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2025-10-18 01:18