Grey's Anatomy did the unthinkable last season by killing off Dr. Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) and it left a lot of fans miffed.

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Fans have been so miffed that right after Derek died on screen a petition popped up on the Internet telling Shonda Rhimes to bring him back.

Ellen Pompeo, the portrayer of Dr. Meredith Grey on the ABC medical drama, knew the loss of Derek would stir quite extreme reactions, but she firmly believes she can carry the show.

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The show is named after her character so it makes sense that her character is a strong female lead that can stand on her own.

On Friday, Entertainment Weekly revealed exactly how Pompeo feels about fans thinking Meredith cannot hack it alone.

"Let's keep it really real for a second and say this is really difficult for my ego. It's okay! We all have one!" she dished.

The actress pointed out that Meredith is treated differently than the other leading females on Rhimes' other ABC dramas, How to Get Away With Murder and Scandal.

"It's like, Annalise Keating [Viola Davis] carries the show, Olivia Pope [Kerry Washington] carries the show," Pompeop explained, adding, "But somehow, Meredith Grey needs someone. Why can't I just be the lead of the show the way Annalise and Olivia can? Why can't I be on that poster by myself?"

Grey's Anatomy returns to ABC on Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. ET for its Season 12 premiere.

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