'Grey's Anatomy' Creator Shonda Rhimes Speaks Out on Jerrika Hinton's Departure
'Grey's Anatomy' Creator Shonda Rhimes Opens Up About Jerrika Hi…
Britney Spears' Husband Sam Asghari Opens Up About 'Surreal' Mar…
'Fire Island' Cast Opens Up About Queer Rom-Com, Bowen Yang and …
‘Father of the Bride’s Gloria Estefan & Andy Garcia Reflect on H…
Johnny Depp's First TikTok Is Love Letter to Fans After Defamati…
Zendaya and Andrew Garfield Interview Each Other About Tom Holla…
‘Jurassic World Dominion’: DeWanda Wise on If This Is Really Fra…
‘Moonhaven’ Trailer: Joe Manganiello Stars in the Sci-Fi Thrille…
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp's Infamous Penthouse for Sale in Wak…
Penn Badgley on Where ‘You’ Season 4 Will Pick Up (Exclusive)
Johnny Depp's Lawyers Hint He Might Not Take Amber Heard's Payout
Rachel Brosnahan and ’Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Cast Tease Milo Ven…
NeNe Leakes Denies Being ‘Husband Stealer’ After Being Sued by B…
Johnny Depp Feels Like He 'Got His Career Back' After Trial Vict…
'Selling Sunset's Emma Hernan Responds to Internet Making Jokes …
'Selling the OC' Cast Says 'Selling Sunset' Stars Gave Them No A…
'RHOBH's Sutton Stracke Reveals What Went Down at Lunch With Den…
Melissa Gorga Teases the 'Fresh Meat' Newbies Coming to 'RHONJ' …
'Summer House's Lindsay Hubbard and Carl Radke Are Moving In Tog…
Spoiler alert! Do not proceed if you haven't watched the season 13 finale of Grey's Anatomy. Read our full finale recap here.
Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes is speaking out about the latest cast departure.
Following Thursday's emotional season 13 finale, Rhimes revealed why series regular Jerrika Hinton -- who has played Dr. Stephanie Edwards since the veteran medical drama's ninth season -- said goodbye for good.
RELATED: 'Grey's Anatomy' Says Goodbye to Jerrika Hinton in Season 13 Finale
"Actors evolve differently and when an actor like Jerrika comes to me and says she wants to try something new creatively, I like to honor that," she wrote in a statement posted to Twitter.
"Jerrika has shared so much of herself with Stephanie and I am incredibly proud of the journey we've taken together. While I'm sad to see Stephanie leave Grey Sloan Hospital, I am excited to see what's next for Jerrika," Rhimes continued.
RELATED: 'Grey's Anatomy': A Shocking Explosion Leaves One Doctor's Fate in Question
In the finale, Stephanie survived the initial explosion that had Grey Sloan Memorial in chaos as her fellow doctors scrambled to find her and save their patients. After valiantly saving a little girl's leg and suffering severe burns to her arms and body, Stephanie made the life-changing decision to quit her position as a surgical resident and live life outside the hospital walls.
“I spent my whole life in hospitals, my whole life. I need to travel and hike and breathe,” an emotional Stephanie said to her mentor, Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens, Jr.). “I want to breathe it all in, away from the monitors and the blood and the sterile counts and away from saving other people’s lives -- I want my own. This time, I live my own."
Will you miss Stephanie Edwards on Grey's Anatomy? Tell us in the comments or tweet us at @etnow!
Grey's Anatomy returns this fall on ABC.