Grey’s Anatomy did not come to an end last night.
It was a different Shonda Rhimes-produced series, Scandal, that aired its final episode.
However, the careers of two veteran Grey’s Anatomy actresses did actually come to a conclusion with the latest Season 14 installment, as both Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew wrapped up their impressive runs on the beloved show.
It had been announced in early March that the stars would not return next year.
ABC cited creative reasons as the basis for letting the cast members go.
At the time, Pompeo expressed her surprise and sadness over the development, while also fighting back against talk that her new contract was somehow to blame for the decision.
On Thursday evening, however, after Capshaw and Drew were written out of the show, Pompeo once again took to Twitter in order to pay them tribute.
“Boom… @thank you @jessicacapshaw for bringing it the way you have brought it for 10 amazing years… what a blessing you are and what a contribution you made to television history,” Pompeo wrote about Capshaw.
The actress portrayed Dr. Arizona Robbins for 10 seasons on Grey’s Anatomy.
Concluded Pompeo in this sweet message:
“Lit that screen up with your glow on the LGBT community… making a difference and making it all look so easy… GOAT #representationmatters #loveyou.”
(Arizona was a lesbian, it’s likely worth noting.)
As for Drew, who played Dr. April Kepner for nine seasons, Pompeo thanked her for being “sugar and spice” on the long-running ABC drama.
Along with heart emojis, fire emojis and star emojis, Pompeo penned the following about Drew:
THANK YOU to this lady….@thesarahdrew you served up the sugar and spice for 9 years and it’s been a blast.
Your passion and talent for storytelling has touched so many people provoked thought and Greys is a better show because of it and you. #japrilfansdontplay
Upon learning they were being let go from Grey’s Anatomy, both Capshaw and Drew responded with classy statements.
First, this is how Drew reacted publicly:
Thank you for all of the love. I know you’re sad. I’m sad too. 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. That will come later.
For now, I’d like to say: I love you, and I love April, and her story isn’t over yet.
And the really good news (for me, at least) is that I’m here on set shadowing one of my favorite people, Kevin McKidd, with my beloved Grey’s family all this week and next, so I get to process all of my feelings surrounded by the community that has nourished and nurtured me for almost a decade.
For that, I am grateful.
And then Capshaw:
For the past ten years I have had the rare privilege of not only playing Arizona Robbins but also being madly in love with playing her.
Arizona Robbins is kind, intelligent, funny, insightful, bold, playful, fierce and really good at her job.
She was one of the first members of the LGBTQ community to be represented in a seres regular role on network television. Her impact on the world is permanent and forever. Forever.
I am grateful that I have gotten to bring her to life and for the life that she has brought to me.
I am sad to see her go but I am consoled by the idea that she will continue to live on and on in all of our consciences and our imaginations. Shonda, thank you for the ride on this incredible rollercoaster.
To watch Grey’s Anatomy online and see how Robbins and Kepner left the series, click on the video below.
But do so with a box of tissues handy.
