Ellen Pompeo on Those Grey's Anatomy Exits: "Don't Pit Women Against Each Other"

This week, Ellen Pompeo aka TV's highest-paid actress stopped by The Ellen DeGeneres Show to discuss her monumental career as Grey's Anatomy's title character, Meredith Grey. Pompeo talked a lot about her interview with The Hollywood Reporter, in which she recalls the moment she realised she was making less than her male costar, despite being the show's most crucial character. "I think there are certain moments where it's important to be really truthful about our pain, and about our struggles," she said. "Sometimes, you have to go through painful things to be an example."

During the chat, Pompeo also addressed the brewing drama surrounding a recent Grey's Anatomy announcement that not one but two fan favourites will leave at the end of season 14: Sarah Drew and Jessica Capshaw, who play April and Arizona. Statements from the cast and crew insisted it was a creative decision, but many fans seemed to believe that Drew and Capshaw are leaving to help cover Pompeo's high salary. The star immediately responded to the rumours on Twitter, saying they are entirely untrue. On Ellen, Pompeo doubled down again.

"It's absolutely not true. I mean, I'm not involved in these kinds of decisions," Pompeo told DeGeneres. Instead, she blamed the exits on the characters, saying that the writers had run out of stories for April and Arizona. "It's always sad when we lose people, for whatever reason. Whether they want to go or they don't want to go, it doesn't make it any easier." Pompeo concluded, saying, "It's important for us to not pit women against each other and to really dispel the notion that women are always victims . . . we're very strong, and we're capable of many, many things." And you know, that's totally fair. I still don't want April to die, though. Just saying.