Why Did Justin Chambers Leave ‘Grey’s Anatomy’? What We Know About His Sudden Exit

View gallery

Image Credit: Abc-Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock Justin Chambers played Alex Karev connected Grey’s Anatomy. Justin near the bid during play 16. Justin has not returned to Grey’s Anatomy since his departure.

Alex Karev was the past remaining archetypal intern different than Meredith Grey. Over the people of 16 seasons, Alex and Meredith endured truthful overmuch together. Their relationship became a cardinal portion of the series, which premiered connected ABC successful 2005. However, successful play 16, everything changed. Alex abruptly near Grey Sloan successful the mediate of the season.

Ellen Pompeo, Justin Chambers, and Sarah Drew connected ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ (Abc-Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock)

Justin Chambers’ exit from Grey’s Anatomy took everyone by surprise. It came retired of nowhere. HollywoodLife is doing a heavy dive into his departure and what Justin is up to these days.

Why Did Justin Chambers Leave Grey’s Anatomy?

Justin, present 53, announced he was leaving Grey’s Anatomy successful the mediate of the show’s 16th season. He simply wanted to commencement a caller section extracurricular of Grey’s Anatomy. The histrion was acold from the archetypal notable sanction to permission the series. Patrick Dempsey, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, T.R. Knight, had antecedently near the show.

“There’s nary bully clip to accidental goodbye to a amusement and quality that’s defined truthful overmuch of my beingness for the past 15 years,” Justin said successful a connection to Deadline successful January 2020. “For immoderate clip now, however, I person hoped to diversify my acting roles and vocation choices. And, arsenic I crook 50 and americium blessed with my remarkable, supportive woman and 5 fantastic children, present is that time.”

Justin Chambers had been an archetypal formed subordinate since 2005. (Abc-Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock)

He added, “As I determination connected from Grey’s Anatomy, I privation to convey the ABC family, Shonda Rhimes, archetypal formed members Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens, and the remainder of the astonishing formed and crew, some past and present, and, of course, the fans for an bonzer ride.”

Months aboriginal successful April 2020, showrunner Krista Vernoff was asked astir the reasoning down Justin’s exit from the series. “I diminution comment,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. When asked astir however overmuch announcement she received astir his exit, Krista replied, “I don’t privation to speech astir it.”

In Lynette Rice’s 2022 publication How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey’s Anatomy, Justin gave a uncommon interview astir his clip connected the show. “You’re successful a bubble [on the show]. You deterioration scrubs each day, you spot beauteous overmuch the aforesaid radical each day, successful the aforesaid 4 walls, the aforesaid studios, you thrust the aforesaid way to work. For maine it [was] benignant of a mill occupation for acting,” helium said. “You conscionable timepiece in, timepiece out. Yeah, I conjecture it is sentimental, but it’s benignant of like, ‘Wow, I conscionable can’t judge however accelerated it’s gone.'”

What Happened To Alex Karev?

Justin’s past onscreen quality was successful the 350th occurrence of Grey’s Anatomy, which aired successful November 2019. However, that wasn’t Alex Karev’s “last” episode.

Justin provided the voiceover for the 16th occurrence of play 16 titled “Leave a Light On.” The goodbye occurrence explained Alex’s exit, which had been shrouded successful mystery. Alex ended up reuniting with his ex-wife, Izzie Stevens, successful Kansas aft calling her to assistance prevention Meredith’s career. They rekindled their narration — contempt Alex inactive being joined to Jo — aft Alex discovered that Izzie had given commencement to their twins, Eli and Alexis. Izzie had utilized the embryos she and Alex had frozen erstwhile she was undergoing chemo.

Alex wrote a missive to the radical who meant the astir to him astatine Grey Sloan: Meredith, Jo, Bailey, and Richard. In Jo’s letter, Alex confessed that helium was inactive successful emotion with Izzie. He besides wrote that helium hoped Jo would recognize wherefore helium needed to enactment successful Kansas. “I request to springiness these kids the household you and I ne'er had,” helium said. Alex brutally included signed divorcement papers successful his missive to Jo and his ownership shares successful Grey Sloan.

#GreysAnatomy #AlexKarev pic.twitter.com/ME50iOL5OZ

— Krista Vernoff (@KristaVernoff) March 6, 2020

Following Alex’s goodbye, Krista released a statement: “It is astir intolerable to accidental goodbye to Alex Karev. That is arsenic existent for maine and for each of the writers astatine Grey’s Anatomy arsenic it is for the fans. We person loved penning Alex. And we person loved watching Justin Chambers’ nuanced portrayal of him. For 16 seasons, 16 years, we person grown up alongside Alex Karev. We person been frustrated by his limitations and we person been inspired by his maturation and we person travel to emotion him profoundly and to deliberation of him arsenic 1 of our precise champion friends. We volition miss him terribly. And we volition ever beryllium grateful for his impact, connected our show, connected our hearts, connected our fans, connected the world.”

Will Justin Chambers Ever Return To Grey’s Anatomy?

As of close now, we conscionable don’t cognize if Justin Chambers volition ever travel backmost to Grey’s Anatomy. We ne'er thought we’d spot the time erstwhile Patrick Dempsey’s Derek Shepherd, T.R. Knight’s George O’Malley, Eric Dane’s Mark Sloan, and Chyler Leigh’s Lexie Grey would look connected Grey’s Anatomy again, but they each returned for the beach episodes successful play 17.

Ellen Pompeo, Jesse Williams, and Justin Chambers connected ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ (Abc-Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock)

Krista was asked astir the anticipation of Justin oregon Katherine Heigl coming backmost to Grey’s Anatomy successful the aboriginal astatine the extremity of play 16. “When I near the amusement successful play 7, radical asked maine if determination was immoderate accidental of maine ever coming back, and I was astute capable to say, ‘Never accidental never.’ Here I am, truthful who knows?” she told Deadline.

Grey’s Anatomy volition instrumentality for a milestone season 20. However, owed to the ongoing writers’ and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Grey’s Anatomy apt won’t premiere until 2024.

What Is Justin Chambers Doing Now?

Justin Chambers successful 2019. (Jason Merritt/Radarpics/Shutterstock)

Justin’s archetypal post-Grey’s Anatomy gig was playing Marlon Brando successful the Paramount+ bid The Offer astir the making of The Godfather. The histrion appeared successful 4 episodes. He doesn’t person immoderate upcoming projects listed connected his IMDb arsenic of August 2023.

Even though helium near Grey’s Anatomy behind, he’s inactive a portion of the family. In June 2021, Ellen Pompeo posted videos connected her Instagram Story featuring Justin and Eric Dane arsenic they had meal together.

In January 2023, Justin posed successful beforehand of a Patrick Dempsey advertisement and wrote connected Instagram, “McFramed. Coming soon.” He gave Grey’s Anatomy a saccharine shoutout by posting a photograph of his java cupful with a sleeve featuring Meredith, Bailey, and Richard. “A caller cupful of Greys,” helium captioned the Instagram post.