Grey’s Anatomy fans, who had just rallied from the announcement of Ellen Pompeo leaving the show as the lead character, have now been told that Kelly McCreary — who plays Meredith’s half-sister, Dr. Maggie Pierce — will also be saying goodbye to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital after season 19. The show airs on ABC with episodes available on Hulu the next day. Here’s how you can watch them on Hulu outside the USA.
McCreary first appeared on the ABC show at the end of season 10 and quickly became part of the core team of actors in the past nine years. Her last episode as a series regular will air on April 13 but Maggie will pop in to visit the doctors of Grey Sloan in the later episodes of this season.
Announcing her exit from the show, McCreary sent out a statement that said: “After nine seasons, I am saying goodbye to Maggie Pierce and her Grey Sloan family. It has been a tremendous honor to be a part of such a legendary television institution as Grey’s Anatomy. I will always be grateful to Shonda Rhimes, Krista Vernoff, and ABC for the opportunity, and to the incredible fans for their passionate support.”
“To spend nine years exploring a character inside and out, while reaching a global audience with impactful stories, is a rare gift. It has afforded me an opportunity to collaborate with, learn from, and be inspired by countless brilliant artists both in front of and behind the camera. Playing Maggie Pierce has been one of the true joys of my life and I leave with profound gratitude for every step of this journey,” she added.
Hinting that she may have already landed her next acting gig, McCreary signed off by saying: “I am excited for this next chapter, and what the future holds.”
After Kelly announced her exit from Grey’s Anatomy to the media, she wrote a goodbye note to her fans on Instagram:
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It is being said that McCreary informed the producers ahead of time of her wish to leave Grey’s and explore other possibilities and thus Pierce’s departure has been meticulously planned, just like Meredith’s exit from Seattle — although fans will see her in the season finale — in the winter premiere. Maggie’s Season 19 narrative is centered around her and Winston’s (Anthony Hill) increasing marital issues, which will likely be the major cause of her departure from Grey Sloan.
Executive producer and showrunner Krista Vernoff — who will also be parting ways from the show if there is a next season — talked about Maggie’s eminent departure by saying: “Kelly McCreary is a writer’s dream come true; brilliant, nuanced, thoughtful, and kind.”
She added: “We will deeply miss her and her beautifully crafted Dr. Maggie Pierce.”
Ellen Pompeo, who made her exit as the lead character of the show in the winter premiere when Meredith decided to move to Boston for her daughter Zola’s education, wrote a heartfelt Instagram note for Kelly:
Congratulations Kelly💚 Thanks so much for your super hard work and the valuable contributions you’ve made to the Grey’s legacy. Looking forward to your next chapter✨ Lots of love, EP
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Maggie debuted in the last episode of Season 10 and is known for her perfectionism and need to be in charge. Maggie was revealed to be the biological daughter of Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) and Meredith’s late mother, Ellis Grey (Kate Burton), in a later episode.
McCreary returns in Season 11, first as a recurring character and then as a series regular. She has been a primary cast member ever since, with the exception of a brief hiatus at the start of Season 18 in the autumn of 2021, when she gave birth to her first child with director Pete Chatmon, whom she met on the set of Grey’s Anatomy.
Over the course of her spell on Grey’s Anatomy, Maggie has experienced a great deal of grief throughout the years. She was with her mother as she lost her fight with cancer, and she also met a relative who died on her operating table.
Maggie had multiple relationships, most notably with DeLuca and Jackson, before meeting Winston, one of her Tufts residents who joined her in Seattle soon after her arrival. They married during Grey’s Anatomy Season 17, conducting two ceremonies, one in Meredith’s backyard and one on the beach.
Maggie and Winston’s problems began in the Season 18 finale when she questioned whether they had married too hastily without getting to know each other well. In a passionate speech about their love for each other, he dispelled her concerns, but the trouble was yet to pass.
Winston’s well-intended decision to change specialty and quit cardiac to safeguard his marriage produced a fresh rift. They’ve been bickering ever since, and famously argued in Meredith’s attic as lightning struck, sparking a fire. Even though they pulled off a professional “miracle” by successfully executing a first-of-its-kind dangerous partial heart transplant operation on a newborn infant, Winston and Maggie grew apart, leading to Maggie moving in with Amelia and seeking guidance from Richard.
At the end of last week’s episode, Maggie tearfully asked Richard how he and Catherine knew that what they were going through “was just a rough patch and it wasn’t something more… malignant.” While Richard was reassuring, the way his words were intertwined with Meredith’s end-of-episode voiceover made the exchange ominous. The scene culminated with Richard saying, “Whatever’s going on, you and Winston have so much love between you that whatever it is, you work through it, I know you will,” followed by Meredith’s line, “Sometimes, despite our schooling and centuries of medical advancement, the disease wins.”
McCreary’s exit announcement is the latest in a series of blows to fans, especially since the fate of Grey’s Anatomy still hangs in the balance with its 20th season renewal yet to be announced. This, coupled with the fact that show creator Shonda Rhimes has always said that there will be no Grey’s Anatomy without Meredith Grey, is causing major concern to Grey’s lovers all over the world.
