Grey’s Anatomy: Natalie Morales Addresses the Shocking Season 22 Death

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This story contains spoilers from the season 22 premiere of Grey’s Anatomy.

Natalie Morales is grateful for her time at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

The season 22 premiere of *Grey’s Anatomy* revealed that Dr. Monica Beltran died after the explosion at the end of last season. She was fatally crushed by falling hospital equipment. Before her death, however, she successfully guided surgical intern Jules Millin (Adelaide Kane) through a surgery they were performing when the explosion occurred.

Natalie, who first appeared on *Grey’s Anatomy* in season 20, said she was a little surprised to get a call from executive producer and showrunner Meg Marinis about the upcoming season.

I received a call asking me to return for another season, and my first thought was, ‘I assumed the character had been killed off,'” the 40-year-old told *Deadline* in a recent interview. “But then Meg told me she had some news for me.”

Natalie said she had complicated feelings when she found out her character would be killed off the show.

She expressed how fortunate she felt to have been involved with the show and shared her gratitude for the experience.

Natalie expressed a lot of gratitude for the warm welcome she received from fans of *Grey’s Anatomy*, but jokingly warned they might be upset with something she’d done. She playfully apologized in advance.

Natalie holds no grudges, fully believing in Meg’s abilities as a very talented writer and the person in charge of the show.

Natalie remembered thinking the plan felt right when she heard it, and she understood the reasoning behind it. ‘Even though it’s sad,’ she said, ‘it actually fits the story perfectly.’

Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe this! Apparently, Jennifer Lawrence – yes, *the* Jennifer Lawrence – was so grateful she got to stay on *Grey’s Anatomy* longer than expected! I read that she was originally only supposed to be on for like, three to five episodes, but she ended up sticking around for more! It’s amazing, right? I’m so glad she didn’t just disappear after a few appearances! She was fantastic!

Natalie said she wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but she feels fortunate it turned out to be a richer experience than she anticipated, and she’s thrilled she had the opportunity to do so much.

Saying goodbye was difficult, though, as Natalie explained how much she enjoyed working with the show’s cast and crew.

What I’ll miss most is definitely the people I worked with. The cast was fantastic, the writers were all incredibly talented, and I really enjoyed working with the directors. They made the whole experience special.

And Natalie herself will be equally missed. 

Meg raved about the actress, telling *Deadline* she was an amazing performer and a joy to work with. She expressed hope for a future collaboration, praising the talent and presence the actress brings to her roles.

The showrunner said she really didn’t want to kill any characters this season and made a conscious effort to prevent it.

She explained that while in the writers room and reviewing the finale again, she realized where the story was headed.

For more jaw-dropping moments from Grey’s Anatomy, keep reading. 

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 Dr. Derek Shepherd. Talk about awkward!

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

During its second season, *Grey’s Anatomy* aired a dramatic scene after the Super Bowl. Viewers watched with suspense as Meredith Grey bravely put her hand inside a patient to prevent a live explosive from going off. Just when everyone breathed a sigh of relief after bomb squad chief Dylan (played by Kyle Chandler) started to carry the explosive 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 life-saving heart transplant during the second half of season two, and many fell in love with them both. When Izzie’s risky attempt to get him moved up the transplant list backfired and he tragically died in the season finale, it became clear that Grey’s Anatomy wasn’t afraid to break viewers’ hearts and didn’t guarantee happy endings.

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

At the start of season three, Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) joined Seattle Grace Hospital as an intern. Her arrival echoed how Derek first met Meredith, but thankfully didn’t lead to a similar encounter! She quickly introduced herself to George O’Malley (T.R. Knight). As it turned out, Lexie 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 already complex relationships.

I’ll never forget when Denny came back – two and a half seasons after his death! It was… a lot. Seeing his ghost and, well, *that* scene with Izzie was just wild. Honestly, it felt like a really strange way for the show to tell us something was terribly wrong with her. Turns out, she had stage IV melanoma, and it had spread to her brain. It was heartbreaking, and that whole storyline just felt… off, even for *Grey’s Anatomy*.

Honestly, everyone thought Izzie was going to be the one to die in that season five finale, but looking back, the fact that George was nowhere to be found should have been a huge sign. It was heartbreaking when Meredith finally figured out that the unidentified patient the doctors were working on – the one hit by the bus while being a hero – was actually George. He’d been writing ‘007’ – that nickname they used to tease him with – on his hand. She desperately tried to get the surgeons to realize it, but it was already too late. He just… flatlined. It was such a shock, and a really sad moment.

One of the most shocking moments in *Grey’s Anatomy* history happened in the season six finale. A grieving widower, upset after his wife’s death and following the hospital’s merger with Mercy West, came to the hospital armed with a gun and intent on ending his life. The situation quickly escalated, resulting in the deaths of some doctors and injuries to others. The horrifying image of Dr. Bailey being pulled from under a patient’s bed remains deeply disturbing, though thankfully she survived. Sadly, Meredith and Derek’s unborn baby did not; Meredith suffered a miscarriage after believing Derek had been fatally shot.

Just two seasons after a devastating shooting at Seattle Grace 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 complex surgery. The crash left them stranded and injured, and no one knew where they were. Sadly, Mark and Lexie died in the accident, 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 former fiancé, Preston Burke, who she’d been left at the altar by years earlier. Burke offered Cristina his hospital in Switzerland, giving her a reason to leave Seattle. What surprised many was the show’s decision to bring Washington back, considering he’d been fired after using a deeply offensive slur against 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.) that she was the daughter of the famous Dr. Ellis Grey. Richard wasn’t the only one shocked by this news – it also meant 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 particularly surprising because Patrick Dempsey had just renewed his contract, meaning his exit wasn’t planned. 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 so much, but in the twelfth season’s ninth episode, things got even worse when a patient violently attacked her, breaking her jaw. She needed surgery to repair it and restore her hearing, and the aftermath was incredibly difficult. A particularly powerful scene showed Mer panicking because her children weren’t able to visit her while she recovered, and Ellen Pompeo delivered a truly stunning performance.

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 surprising twist for viewers!

During season 17, viewers saw Dr. Andrea “Andrew” DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) tragically die. After battling mental health issues, DeLuca had become an attending physician at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. However, consistent with the show’s style, his progress was cut short when he was fatally stabbed by someone connected to a human trafficking operation.

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2025-10-11 02:18