'Grey's Anatomy' Book Explains Patrick Dempsey's Exit: 'He Was Terrorizing The Set'

Patrick Dempsey was let go from the hit medical drama "Grey's Anatomy" because of "HR issues," according to a new book.

An excerpt from "How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey's Anatomy" by Lynette Rice shared details behind Dempsey's departure from the series. The author spoke with the cast and crew members of the beloved ABC medical drama to get the story behind the cameras.

The unauthorized book claimed that the much-loved character Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd (Dempsey) was killed off in Season 11 because the actor had "HR issues." Rice learned about it after speaking with his co-stars and the exec producers of the show.

"There were HR issues. It wasn’t sexual in any way. He sort of was terrorizing the set. Some cast members had all sorts of PTSD with him," exec producer James D. Parriott said of Dempsey's exit based on the excerpt obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.

"He had this hold on the set where he knew he could stop production and scare people. The network and studio came down and we had sessions with them. I think he was just done with the show. He didn’t like the inconvenience of coming in every day and working. He and Shonda [Rhimes] were at each other’s throats."

Jeannine Renshaw, the co-executive producer of the show, also shared that there were times when Ellen Pompeo was frustrated with Dempsey because he would complain about being on set for "too late" or "too long" when she had twice as many scenes in an episode as he did.

"When I brought it up to Patrick, I would say, 'Look around you. These people have been here since six-thirty a.m.' He would go, 'Oh, yeah,'" Renshaw shared. "He would get it. It’s just that actors tend to see things from their own perspectives. He’s like a kid. He’s so high energy and would go, 'What’s happening next?' He literally goes out of his skin, sitting and waiting. He wants to be out driving his race car or doing something fun. He’s the kid in class who wants to go to recess."

Meanwhile, an unnamed crew member sympathized with Dempsey. According to the crew member, he liked the actor and he was the "Lone Ranger." The anonymous source alleged that the actresses were getting all his power and they would go running to Rhimes complaining about Dempsey being late for work or being a nightmare.

"He was just shut out in the cold. His behavior wasn’t the greatest, but he had nowhere to go. He was so miserable. He had no one to talk to," the crew member said. "When Sandra [Oh] left, I remember him telling me, 'I should’ve left then, but I stayed on because they showed me all this money. They just were dumping money on me.'"

Rhimes, the creator, head writer and executive producer of the series, considered Dempsey's McDreamy an "incredibly important character" not just for Meredith (Pompeo) but for her and the fans, too. She also admitted it wasn't easy for her to bid goodbye to Dempsey's character.

"I absolutely never imagined saying goodbye to our McDreamy. Patrick Dempsey’s performance shaped Derek in a way that I know we both hope became a meaningful example — happy, sad, romantic, painful, and always true — of what young women should demand from modern love. His loss will be felt by all," she said.

"How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey's Anatomy" will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 21.