Eight years ago, Grey’s Anatomy fans were taken aback by a shocking development. Out of nowhere, ABC announced that series veterans Sarah Drew and Jessica Capshaw (who played doctors April Kepner and Arizona Robbins) would not be returning for Season 15 of the medical show. This was revealed after the season had wrapped, meaning that the characters got no farewell whatsoever. In a recent participation on the podcast Call It What It Is, Drew commented on her public reaction to the announcement.
In 2018, Drew spoke out to fans who were baffled by her exit and suggested that she was blindsided by the decision, and was as surprised as everyone else. On the podcast — which is hosted by her former costars Capshaw and Camilla Luddington), the actor stood by what she said, but elaborated on the feeling that she thinks got exacerbated by the media:
“What I was trying to describe was… [I] was unceremoniously let go in a way that felt mean and unjust, and, because of that, the outpouring of love was so enormous it was like you were sitting there watching people [eulogize you].”
Drew Also Comments On Her Brief Return to Grey’s Anatomy
Ever since she left, Drew was invited to return twice to the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital — in seasons 17 and 18 — and she also talked about the guest appearances on the podcast. She stated that she “had zero anxiety” about going back to the sets of the series because “they’re not responsible for my livelihood anymore. They’re not responsible for my success or my joy.” Drew added that now, returning to the place she spent nine years working feels like “a fun spot” to drop by.
After exiting Grey’s Anatomy, Drew became a frequent collaborator of the Hallmark channel, and starred in a slate of romcoms for the network. Drew attributes the change to a specific storyline from Grey’s Anatomy: the seasons-long romance of her character April Kepner with Jackson Avery (played by Jesse Williams). Drew told Capshaw and Luddington that before acting on that romantic arc, she only got to play “awkward, grating, annoying, ugly duckling, not-beautiful people” and only after Grey’s that she started to be perceived as a strong romantic lead.
Drew entered Grey’s Anatomy in Season 6 and was part of some of the series’ most game-changing arcs, including the merging of two hospitals and the clash between interns. Her character went through a series of great storylines, including conflicts of religious beliefs, death of a child and alcoholism.