Time to say goodbye. Ellen Pompeo broke her silence on Saturday, January 11, after her Grey’s Anatomy costar Justin Chambers announced he would be leaving the beloved series.
The actress, 50, retweeted a Vanity Fair tweet that read, “#GreysAnatomy is about to feel one of its biggest losses yet,” to which she replied, “Truer words have never been spoken @VanityFair 💔.”
Pompeo and Chambers starred in the fan-favorite ABC drama for 16 seasons. On Friday, January 10, the 49-year-old actor confirmed the shocking news that his time at Grey Sloan Memorial was coming to an end.
“There’s no good time to say goodbye to a show and character that’s defined so much of my life for the past 15 years,” Chambers said in statement to Deadline. “For some time now, however, I have hoped to diversify my acting roles and career choices. And, as I turn 50 and am blessed with my remarkable, supportive wife and five wonderful children, now is that time.”
The actor continued, “As I move on from Grey’s Anatomy, I want to thank the ABC family, Shonda Rhimes, original cast members Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens, and the rest of the amazing cast and crew, both past and present, and, of course, the fans for an extraordinary ride.”
Chambers played Alex Karev, best friend of Pompeo’s Meredith Grey, since the season 1 premiere of Grey’s Anatomy. Us Weekly previously reported that Chambers delivered his last lines two months before confirming his departure from the show.
While several stars of the long-running hospital drama have already said their final goodbyes, Pompeo revealed during a September appearance on the Late Late Show With James Corden that her ideal Grey’s Anatomy ending would feature the original cast.
“Well, I can’t really say what I think, because if we really do what I want to do, then that would give it away,” the Catch Me If You Can actress teased. “I’d love to have some of the old cast come back. That probably won’t happen, but that would be the most amazing way to [end it] … There’s a lot of pressure on that final episode.”
Grey’s Anatomy airs on ABC Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET. and has already been renewed for season 17.
