“My Only Allegiance Is to the Story”: Shonda Rhimes Explains Why She’s K/i/lled So Many Beloved ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Characters

Throughout its 21 seasons, Grey’s Anatomy saw many characters enter and exit the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. However, many of the most beloved ones left the story in a body bag, which angered a lot of fans. In a new interview, series creator Shonda Rhimes (Bridgerton) addressed the high body count from the long-running medical series and hinted that she has no regret over the bold decisions that she and the show’s writing team have made over all these years.

During the interview with Entertainment Weekly, Rhimes talked not only about the deaths in Grey’s Anatomy but also in the other shows that she created or produced, like Scandal, Station 19 and How to Get Away with Murder. The former showrunner commented on her approach to stories and revealed that there is only one guiding light she follows when making decisions about characters’ fates. She stated:

“I always say this, but my only allegiance is to the story. And I mean that in every single way. I mean that if an actor has to be killed off, it’s because that’s what the story calls for, not because I don’t like that actor or the actor’s not doing great. So for me, my whole allegiance is to story. The story’s going to be what the story’s going to be. Anybody can comment in any way they want to. That’s the job. You put out the art, they react to the art. I’m fine to see it, but it didn’t feel like something I was pursuing or needing to see.”

Some ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Character Deaths Still Bother Fans

One of the boldest deaths from Grey’s Anatomy was certainly Derek Shepherd’s (Patrick Dempsey) in Season 11. Long-running series don’t tend to kill off leading stars, especially after so many episodes. However, Derek’s death had an impact that left several fans floored and “broke” the internet back in 2015. Rhimes herself penned the episode, which is considered one of the best in the history of the series. However, some deaths didn’t have the best response, like when Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) dies out of nowhere in the Season 8 finale. Leigh herself talked about her character’s senseless death last year.

In recent years, however, Grey’s Anatomy has toned down the way that characters exit the series, which left the door open for a good number of them to return in later seasons. The show welcomed back to the main cast names like Kim Raver (as Dr. Teddy Altman), Kate Walsh (as Dr. Addison Montgomery), Jessica Capshaw (as Dr. Arizona Robbins) and many others.