Why Grey’s Anatomy Killing Off Derek Shepherd Was Necessary Explained By Creator Shonda Rhimes

Creator Shonda Rhimes explains why Grey’s Anatomy had to kill Derek Shepherd. Patrick Dempsey’s character was almost as synonymous with the show as Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey when the character unexpectedly died in Grey’s Anatomy season 11. As the show’s original leading man, his and Meredith’s love story had been a pillar of the medical drama’s storytelling for almost a decade. Hence, it was shocking when Derek unexpectedly died in a car crash, leaving many viewers devastated. While Grey’s Anatomy already had its fair share of deaths, Dempsey’s fatal accident ranked as one of the most gut-wrenching.

Years after the horrific plot twist, Rhimes explains in her Masterclass (which was recorded longer before the writers’ strike) why they had no choice but to kill off the character. She also discusses why Christina Yang was written off with a feel-good storyline. Like Dempsey’s role, Sandra Oh’s character was so beloved, but at least she got a happy ending in Grey’s Anatomy. Read her full quote below:

Derek Shepherd cannot leave Meredith Grey. He cannot leave and walk away from his wife and children because that would make him a jerk for all time. So storywise, he has to die, which is the worst but also the best possible narrative that you can come up with that’s going to make the entire storyline of those two characters true. If he is the man who we’ve said he is, he is not going to leave unless he dies.

Why Patrick Dempsey Left Grey’s Anatomy

Rhimes offers a great narrative reason for Derek’s death in Grey’s Anatomy season 11. Behind the scenes, however, Dempsey’s departure from the series was controversial. The actor was still contracted for two years, which was supposed to last until the show’s season 12. The fact that Derek was written out of the show while the actor’s deal was still in effect resulted in murmurs of on-set issues involving him. At one point, Dempsey and Rhimes were allegedly in conflict, leading to the latter deciding to end Derek’s time in Grey’s Anatomy abruptly.

Subsequently, Dempsey cleared the air, saying that the decision to exit Grey’s Anatomy didn’t have anything to do with all of those rumors. Instead, he initiated the move, explaining that he had been tinkering about leaving the medical drama for quite a while before it actually happened. Dempsey didn’t discuss any issues with his co-workers. Instead, his reason was personal, as he thought that being on a network show full-time was too time-consuming for him and had left him barely any time to spend with his family.

It’s worth noting, however, that former executive producers James D. Parriott and Jeannine Renshaw later revealed in their book, How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey’s Anatomy, that there was actual tension between Dempsey and Rhimes. However, it seems everyone has already moved on from it, as Dempsey already returned in Grey’s Anatomy season 17 for several episodes as part of Meredith’s COVID-19 arc.