‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Update: ABC President Talks Killing Patrick Dempsey’s ‘McDreamy’ Character

“Grey’s Anatomy” fans are still heartbroken over the shocking demise of Patrick Dempsey’s Dr. Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd in Season 11. ABC President Paul Lee revealed that killing McDreamy was a tough decision.

In April, show creator Shonda Rhimes wrote off Dempsey’s character in episode 21 of Season 11. McDreamy was killed in a car crash, devastating a lot of fans. During the Television Critics Association's summer press tour Tuesday, the ABC head shared that letting Dempsey’s character go was a “difficult decision” to make, the Hollywood Reporter reported.

“Patrick has lots of interests outside; he's very big in motorsports… We've seen the pitch for 'Grey's' for next season. The show reinvents itself again. [Rhimes] really is a remarkable showrunner. We have no reason to suspect 'Grey's Anatomy' won't go on for many, many years to come," Lee added.

For the “Grey’s Anatomy” showrunner, the decision to kill Dr. Shepherd was not a difficult one,” Entertainment Weekly reported. Rhimes explained it was the only way they could have preserved the love between Meredith and Derek.

“As painful as that was for me as a storyteller, the only way to preserve what felt true to me was that Derek was going to have to die in order for that to remain honest,” she said. “I really couldn’t have the idea that he turned out to be a bad guy who walked out on his wife and his kids, [and have that turn] out to be a true story. To me, that was the only way to make Meredith and Derek’s magic remain true and remain frozen in time.”

Meanwhile, the former “Grey’s Anatomy” actor earlier told Entertainment Weekly that he wanted to try something different, and that the plot twist happened “very quickly” but “at the right time,” People reported. Dempsey mentioned that he plans to focus on developing himself and racing, as well as spending time with his three children.

Dempsey is reportedly working on a drama titled “The Limit for SundanceTV” and a travelogue spy thriller called “Fodors.”

You may email your feedback or comment on the article at prewchatterly@gmail.com.