Did Ellen Pompeo’s Pay Raise Cause Trouble For ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Staff?
Grey's Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo has addressed rumors that her pay rise led to the departure of two cast members from the ABC medical drama.
Pompeo's Salary Hike Led To Cast members' Exit?
On Thursday, March 8, Deadline reported that two fan-favorite long-time Grey's Anatomy cast members Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew will be bidding farewell to the series after the ongoing season 14.
Although the website mentioned that the show's creative direction was the sole reason behind Capshaw and Drew's exit, it did point out that the decision to write off the popular characters from the show was made in the wake of Pompeo's significant pay rise.
Pompeo, who plays the role of Meredith Grey on the show, signed a two-year deal with the network in January that will earn Pompeo more than $20 million a year, making her the highest-paid actress on a primetime drama series.
Pompeo Shuts Down Rumors
Hours after Deadline published the article, Pompeo took to Twitter to slam the website for pitting women against one another by suggesting that she was responsible for Drew and Capshaw's departure from the ABC drama.
Its unfortunate that @DEADLINE chooses to try to pit women against eachother on #InternationalWomensDay #shameonyounotme— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) March 8, 2018
I'm a big girl @DEADLINE can take shots at me if they want but to the fans please don't fall into that trap. This is above my pay grade — Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) March 8, 2018
Showrunner Krista Vernoff Weighs In
Grey's Anatomy executive producer Krista Vernoff also echoed her star's sentiments on the micro-blogging platform.
"The suggestion in the Deadline article that our cast changes are in any way related to Ellen Pompeo's salary renegotiation is wrong and hurtful and misguided," she tweeted. "It smacks of an old, broken, patriarchal notion that women must be pitted against each other and that one woman's success will be costly to others."
She added that Pompeo has not only served as an advocate for her costars, she has also taught women across the globe how to stand up for themselves.
Vernoff also confirmed that the decision to write off Drew and Capshaw, who play the roles of Dr. April Kepner and Dr. Arizona Robbins respectively, from the show was strictly a "creative" one and had nothing to do with Pompeo's salary negotiations.
