The Truth Behind Sarah Drew's Grey's Anatomy Exit

With a show as prolific as "Grey's Anatomy," careers are made or broken by it. Now in its 18th season, fans have seen characters come and go (and sometimes come back again) and they're accustomed to change. But for the actors? Saying goodbye can be huge. For someone like Sarah Drew, a 10-year stint on "Grey's" was career-shifting as well as a time of bonding with her castmates. (Spoilers for "Grey's" ahead.)

Fans got to see Drew return as Dr. April Kepner for the first time since Season 14 in 2008 when she made a guest appearance for Jesse Williams' final episode as Dr. Jackson Avery in May 2021. Drew was thrilled to return to her character alongside her friend Williams, in part because April had grown so much as a person in the time she'd been away from Grey Sloan Memorial.

She gushed to The Hollywood Reporter about April and her departure alongside Jackson. "She's extremely fulfilled and living into her calling. What's beautiful about it is her best friend, her person, has now discovered that true calling that he's embarking on," Drew said. "Whether they wind up romantically attached in the future, just the reality of these two humans who care so much about each other living in their true calling is happiness." With such a clear appreciation for her role on "Grey's," fans might wonder, why would Drew leave the show?

On International Women's Day in 2020, Deadline announced that two fan-favorites of "Grey's Anatomy" were not being brought back for the next season. The decision — following reports that the show's lead Ellen Pompeo just signed a two-year deal at $20 million a year — was speculated to be about trimming the budget to support higher payouts for other actors. Showrunner Krista Vernoff adamantly denied that speculation and reiterated that the decision was purely a creative one. Either way, the departure was heartbreaking for actor Sarah Drew, who played Dr. April Kepner for nine seasons.

Drew took to Instagram with her sadness over the decision. "I know you're sad. I'm sad too," she wrote. "I haven't really had the time to process this information. I've been with it for less than 48 hours, so I'm not ready to say my thank yous and give an all encompassing statement about my 9 years here." She added that she loved her fans, she loved April Kepner, and she knew April's story wasn't over yet.

Even if Drew's character (along with Jessica Capshaw's Dr. Arizona Robbins) were at a story impasse, the decision alongside the choice to hand the show's lead a major salary was still not great timing.

In Entertainment Weekly editor-at-large Lynette Rice's new book "How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey's Anatomy," Sarah Drew makes it very clear that she tried so hard to get fans a more satisfying April Kepner exit, according to Insider. Drew told Rice that April's choice to marry Matthew didn't sit right with her. "I always, always wanted her to end up with Jackson, especially after they had their baby," she said. She added that the sudden marriage felt "rushed." She felt so strongly about being genuine to April's journey that she reached out to showrunner Krista Vernoff.

"I even wrote a very passionate letter to Krista after I read that final episode saying 'Can she just walk off? Like maybe kiss him and walk off into the distance doing something as an independent woman? Like, why does she need a man?'" Drew told Rice. Obviously, that different ending never happened, although April got some redemption when she returned in Season 17 for Dr. Jackson Avery's departure.

Fans are still hoping for a Jackson/April (Japril) spinoff — and even Ellen Pompeo is on-board with the idea, per Digital Spy. If it could happen for Dr. Addison Montgomery with "Private Practice," there is still hope, right?