The Curtain Falls on McDreamy
In 2015, Shonda Rhimes made a cryptic revelation on the Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore. She hinted that she once ended a character’s storyline within the Shondaverse because of her dislike for the actor. This led many to speculate that the unlucky victim was Patrick Dempsey’s character, Derek Shepherd, whose painful departure came by way of a tragic death at the close of season 11, long after he had pledged his love to Meredith.
When asked about this, Dempsey shared with EW that Rhimes enjoys stirring things up, which he accepts as part of her nature. He described her as an “amazing woman” and acknowledged her knack for engaging with the media to elicit the desired response.
According to the book How to Save a Life, there was considerable friction between Dempsey, Rhimes, and other cast members. Former executive producer James D. Parriott noted that several colleagues seemed to develop a sort of PTSD due to their interactions with Dempsey. By then, Parriott observed, Dempsey seemed ready to move on from the show.
Jeannine Renshaw, another former executive producer, recounted that Ellen Pompeo would get irritated when Dempsey didn’t have a full workload. According to Renshaw, Pompeo valued fairness above all else, investing deeply in equitable working conditions.
Any alleged wounds were salved enough to welcome Dempsey back to be in comatose Meredith’s dream in season 17.