Ellen Pompeo Drops Bombshell: Is This the End of Meredith Grey on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’?!

Since she first suited up in scrubs in 2005 as a surgical intern at then-Seattle Grace Hospital, Meredith Grey has seen her fair share of drama (and steamy romances) during her decades-long tenure. While Ellen Pompeo sparked speculation about her future at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in 2022 after scaling-back her character’s presence on the ABC series, the actress set the record straight as she opened up about why retiring from Grey’s Anatomy “would make no sense” for her.

In a recent interview with El País, Pompeo shared that she’s not ready to say goodbye to her beloved character—or the paycheck from the popular medical drama.”That would make no sense, emotionally or financially,” she shared, revealing that Grey’s Anatomy’s popularity still holds up after 20 years on air. “The show was streamed more than a billion times in 2024. More than a billion times.”

As the show’s titular character, Pompeo has been a consistent driving force through the many seasons and plot arcs of Grey’s Anatomy. The Great American Family star—who still narrates the show despite her reduced appearances in recent seasons—explained that she feels like it’s only fair that she’s compensated for all the time and work she’s put into the series over the years.

“The companies that own the show and stream the show make a lot of money from our images and our voices and our faces,” she said. “If I were to walk away completely, everybody gets to make money from my hard work for 20 years and I wouldn’t make any money. To me, it doesn’t make any sense that everybody [else] gets to profit off of my hard work.”

The star also opened up about her personal ties to the show, adding, “Emotionally, the show means a lot to people. I want to have an attitude of gratitude toward the show.”

Hanging up her scrubs for good would definitely cost her, as Pompeo now earns $20 million a year for her Grey’s Anatomy role, per The Hollywood Reporter—making her the highest-paid actress on television. However, it wasn’t an easy journey, as Pompeo previously told People in 2018 that co-star Patrick Dempsey’s 2015 exit from the show was the impetus she needed to finally demand what she deserved.

While Pompeo admitted she was worried about being perceived as greedy during salary negotiations, she realized the value that she brought to the franchise. “CAA compiled a list of stats for me, and Grey’s has generated nearly $3 billion for Disney,” she shared. “When your face and your voice have been part of something that’s generated $3 billion for one of the biggest corporations in the world, you start to feel like, ‘OK, maybe I do deserve a piece of this.’”

Pompeo revealed that age made her realize she was ready to ask for more. “Because I’m not the most ‘relevant’ actress out there. I know that’s the industry perception because I’ve been this character for 14 years,” she said. “But the truth is, anybody can be good on a show season one and two. Can you be good 14 years later? Now, that’s a fucking skill.”