Patrick Dempsey's departure from the show is perhaps the murkiest of all. On the surface, Derek Shepherd's death was presented as a "joint decision" made by both Shonda Rhimes and Dempsey. "I think after a certain period of time, no matter how much money you make, you want control out of your own schedule," Dempsey said in an interview. "It had been long enough. It was time for me to move on with other things and other interests." Rhimes shared positive sentiments about the exit in a statement: "Derek Shepherd is and will always be an incredibly important character. . . . Patrick Dempsey's performance shaped Derek in a way that I know we both hope became a meaningful example — happy, sad, romantic, painful and always true — of what young women should demand from modern love. His loss will be felt by all."
All seems fine and dandy, unless you listen to some of the whispers that came out around the same time. A source close to the show insinuated that Dempsey was a diva on set. Then there are the rumors of Dempsey's affair on the Grey's set. None of the details were ever substantiated.
Depending on who you believe, Dempsey was written off the show for being a diva, for having an affair on set, or because he simply felt it was time to move on and wanted control of his schedule. This one's up to you.
