'Grey's Anatomy' Showrunner Slams Idea That Ellen Pompeo's Salary Caused Jessica Capshaw & Sarah Drew Exits

There has been some chatter on social media that Ellen Pompeo‘s $20 million Grey’s Anatomy payday is the reason that Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew are exiting the show after season 14.

Co-showrunner and executive producer Krista Vernoff is speaking out about saying the decision to move on from the two actresses was a creative decision and not because of Ellen.

“The suggestion … that our cast changes are in any way related to Ellen Pompeo‘s salary renegotiation is wrong and hurtful and misguided,” Krista wrote in a statement. “It smacks of an old, broken, patriarchal notion that women must be pitted against each other and that one woman’s success will be costly to others. Ellen Pompeo has not only advocated passionately for her fellow cast members, she has taken the time to educate women worldwide as to how to advocate for themselves and that must not now be twisted. The decision to make changes to our cast was a creative one. The only thing as constant on Grey’s Anatomy as Ellen Pompeo is our penchant for reinvention. It is a part of our success and what keeps the show exciting. We love these actresses and we love these characters and it felt true and right creatively to wrap up their stories. And that is the whole story.”

If you missed it, you can see Jessica Capshaw‘s reaction to the news and Sarah Drew‘s statement regarding her exit.