Summary

• Derek Shepherd's death in Grey's Anatomy season 11 was a shock to viewers, as he had been a central character since the show's pilot episode.
• Patrick Dempsey, who portrayed Derek, decided to leave the series because the work schedule was too time-consuming and didn't allow him to spend time with his family.
• Derek's death was partly due to claims of Dempsey causing disruptions on set and feeling done with the show. Shonda Rhimes ultimately made the decision to write out his character.

Grey’s Anatomy has seen many character exits, but one of the most emotional departures was that of Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). But when does Derek die in Grey's Anatomy, and why did it happen? Grey’s Anatomy follows Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), whom viewers have followed from her days as an intern to becoming Head of General Surgery. Audiences also witnessed many problems in her personal life, including her relationship with Derek Shepherd, with whom she eventually built a family. Patrick Dempsey's Derek was in Grey's Anatomy since the pilot, so Derek's death in season 11 was a shock.

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Meredith and Derek's relationship wasn’t easy to follow, but by Patrick Dempsey's exit from Grey's Anatomy, they were married with children. Then the unthinkable happened — Derek Shepherd died in Grey's Anatomy season 11. Derek took a job in DC, and relocated part-time, but experienced a car accident on the way to handing in his resignation in DC. His injuries left fatal complications, and Meredith decided to remove him from life support. Derek’s departure was not easy for viewers of Grey’s Anatomy, who were left wondering why Patrick Dempsey left after being part of the series for a decade.

Why Patrick Dempsey Left Grey's Anatomy In Season 11

Patrick Dempsey's Last Episode As A Series Regular Is "How To Save A Life"

Derek dies in Grey's Anatomy season 11, almost 10 years after the pilot aired in 2005. He was a central character to both the show and Meredith Grey's character arc, so it's understandable there were many questions about why Derek was killed off. Such a dramatic moment wouldn't happen on a whim. The answer to why Derek Shepheard was in a car crash in Grey's Anatomy comes down to actor Patrick Dempsey.

In 2014, Dempsey signed a two-year contract to remain on the series for its 11th and 12th seasons, meaning his contract wasn't over when Derek was written out of the show. While it seemed like an abrupt departure, Patrick Dempsey had actually been thinking of leaving the series for a while.

In an interview with People in 2016, Dempsey shared it had been “long enough” and it was time for him to move on to other things, adding he “should have moved on a couple of years earlier” and that he “stayed a bit longer” than he should have. Dempsey then revealed that the main reason for him to decide to leave was that it was too time-consuming. Grey's Anatomy's work schedule didn't allow him to spend time with his family.

It had been long enough. It was time for me to move on with other things and other interests. I probably should have moved on a couple of years earlier. I stayed a bit longer than I should have.

Dempsey went on to explain he talked about Derek leaving the show with Shonda Rhimes, and it was clear to both that it was time to let Derek go, though he had no idea how his departure was going to be handled. Killing off characters seems to be the go-to solution for the team behind Grey’s Anatomy, though Rhimes later justified Derek Shepherd's death by saying that leaving Meredith wouldn’t have been something he would do, and so everything the series established about him would’ve been a lie. However, there were other reasons behind his departure from the show.

What The Grey’s Anatomy Producers Said About Patrick Dempsey Leaving

How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey's Anatomy Provided Fans With More Details

In the book How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey's Anatomy, former executive producers James D. Parriott and Jeannine Renshaw reveal that Derek's death in season 11 was, at least in part, due to claims of Dempsey terrorizing the set of the show, allegedly complaining about how time-consuming it all was. What's more, the producers suggest that the actor butted heads with Shonda Rhimes and Grey's Anatomy leading lady Ellen Pompeo.

In the 2021 book (via LA Times), Parriott was quoted as explaining, “There were [Human Resources] issues… sort of terrorizing the set… He had this hold on the set where he knew he could stop production and scare people.” If Dempsey had complaints about scheduling or the way scenes were shot, production had to pause to hear him out.

While that should be a common practice on tv and film sets, former executive producers allege that Dempsey’s disruptions were simply because he felt like he was “done” with the show at that point. Parriott further explained that meetings with the network, studio, and actors were held to discuss Dempsey and that he “didn’t like the inconvenience of coming in every day and working.”

Dempsey’s actions caused tension with both Shonda Rhimes and Ellen Pompeo. While Rhimes was busy trying to make sure the show ran smoothly, Pompeo wanted all the actors to be treated fairly and experience a fair distribution of work. Renshaw explained in interviews that made it into the book that Pompeo was frustrated with Dempsey and “would get angry that he wasn’t working as much.” There were episodes in which Pompeo had “twice as many scenes” as Dempsey and would become frustrated with his complaints about being on set too long.

While Renshaw acknowledged the tension in the book, she also acknowledged that Dempsey would understand that he often wasn’t the person on set the longest when complaining about the long hours. She said there were times she would remind him, “Look around you. These people have been here since six-thirty a.m.” and “he would get it.”

Ultimately, it was Shonda Rhimes who went to the network and requested to write out his character. Killing off Grey's Anatomy's Derek Shepherd in season 11 wasn’t easy for the characters or the viewers, but Dempsey was finally free to take as many projects as he wanted and spend time with his family.

How Grey's Anatomy Brought Back Patrick Dempsey's Derek

Patrick Dempsey First Returned In "The Center Won't Hold"

Although Derek officially died in Grey's Anatomy season 11, the series brought Patrick Dempsey back for several episodes of season 17 as part of Meredith's COVID-induced coma. This period of the show saw Meredith reconnect with several deceased Grey's characters on an ethereal beach while her body was in critical condition. Derek's return was one of the most poignant, as the episodes saw him and Meredith get a fantasy wedding they never had in real life.

The Grey's Anatomy leading lady survived her COVID-19 ordeal, but it was a touching way to reconnect Meredith and Derek in the show, if only for a little while. Plus, the episode and its decision to bring back Patrick for one last bittersweet hurrah gave viewers at home who were living through their own COVID stories an extra dopamine hit of recognition during a recognizably difficult period. From Dempsey's perspective, the return's nature as a limited commitment meant that he could provide joy for fans of the show without jeopardizing his post-Grey's freedom.

What Returning To Grey’s Anatomy In Season 17 Was Like For Patrick Dempsey

Patrick Dempsey Appeared In Four Episodes Of Season 17

Patrick Dempsey might not have loved the long hours of working on Grey’s Anatomy every day, but he didn’t mind appearing as a guest star after Derek Shepherd’s death in season 11. In fact, Dempsey said he enjoyed the experience of filming on the beach. He also enjoyed being able to give fans a little escapism during the COVID-19 pandemic and a little closure for Meredith and Derek.

Following the airing of his season 17 episodes, Dempsey told Variety that “It was a beautiful way to close it. The intention was to really give people some hope… the thought that we’d have angels hovering around us taking care of us is a good message to send out in such a bleak world we’re living in.” While Grey’s Anatomy did see some criticism for featuring COVID-19 in its storylines at all, Dempsey believed the reunion of Meredith and Derek, and Meredith surviving, gave people that hope.

Dempsey spoke with the press at D23 expo in 2022 and said he wouldn’t be surprised if Derek showed up again in the future of Grey’s Anatomy. He told the Hollywood Life, “Who knows? With this show, you know, it’s amazing that it’s gone on as long as it has.” He even acknowledged the fan theory that Derek’s death had been faked, saying, “They’ll figure out some way to bring him back,” which sounds like he wouldn’t mind returning for another guest spot or two.

What Patrick Dempsey Did After Grey's Anatomy

Patrick Dempsey Has Gone On To Both TV And Film Roles

Now that the question of which season Derek dies has been answered, what has Patrick Dempsey been up to since leaving Grey's Anatomy in season 11? Dempsey technically left Grey's Anatomy in 2015, save for his brief reappearance in 2020, and since then, he's been up to a lot. Directly after Grey's Anatomy, Dempsey appeared alongside Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth in the 2016 movie Bridget Jones' Baby. He also appeared in the miniseries The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair shortly after.

As for other feature films, he also reprised his role of Robert Philip in the Disney sequel Disenchanted. He also appears in 2023's Ferrari, in which he portrays Piero Taruffi and Thanksgiving as the sheriff. Patrick Dempsey can also be seen on the small screen in a main role in the TV show Devils, where he plays Dominic Morgan. Dempsey seems to be thriving after his long stint on Grey's Anatomy, and his career won't slow down any time soon.

Grey's Anatomy Season 20 will premiere on ABC on March 14, 2024. New episodes will be available to stream the next day on Hulu.