Ellen Pompeo Says ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Shakeup Had Nothing To Do With Her

“Grey’s Anatomy” lead star Ellen Pompeo recently slammed Deadline for claiming that she received a $20 million increase.

The publication also previously reported that Pompeo’s pay increase may have been the reason behind Sarah Drew and Jessica Capshaw’s axing from the hit ABC TV series. However, Pompeo recently said that there’s no truth to such claims.

Pompeo, who plays the role of Dr. Meredith Grey in “Grey’s Anatomy,” also said that $20 million is just way above her pay grade. The Hollywood Reporter revealed in January that Pompeo’s per episode salary has been increased from $350,000 to $500,000. Typically, “Grey’s Anatomy” has a total of 24 episodes, giving her a $12 million salary per season.

Last week, “Grey’s Anatomy” executive producer Shonda Rhimes announced that Drew and Capshaw will no longer be reprising their roles as April Kepner and Arizona Robbins, respectively.

“It’s always hard for me to say goodbye to any of my characters. Both Arizona Robbins and April Kepner are not only beloved but iconic – both the LGBTQ and devout Christian communities are underrepresented on TV. I will be forever grateful to both Jessica and Sarah for bringing these characters to life with such vibrant performance and for inspiring women around the globe. They will always be a part of our Shondaland family,” she said.

“Grey’s Anatomy” executive producer Krista Vernoff added, “The characters of Arizona and April are permanently woven into the fabric of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ thanks to the extraordinary work of Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew. As writers, our job is to follow the stories where they want to go and sometimes that means saying goodbye to characters we love.”

On Wednesday, Drew posted a sweet message addressed to her fans on social media. She said that she has not yet processed the information because it has only been 48 hours.

Capshaw also posted a touching message for her fans, where she thanked them, as well as the people behind the show, for the wonderful opportunity to star in it.