Grey’s Anatomy: Why Patrick Dempsey’s Derek Was Killed Off In Season 11

Fans of Grey’s Anatomy have had to say goodbye to many of their favorite characters, and one of the most emotional departures was that of Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). But when does Derek die in Grey’s Anatomy, and why did it happen? Grey’s Anatomy follows the ups and downs of surgical interns, residents, and attendings who do their best to juggle their careers and professional lives. The series takes place primarily in the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital (now Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital) and is led by Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), who viewers have followed from her days as an intern to becoming Head of General Surgery. Audiences also witnessed many problems in her personal life, including her relationship with Derek Shepherd, with whom she eventually built a family — here’s the full story of when Derk died in Grey’s Anatomy, and why.

Meredith and Derek’s relationship wasn’t easy to follow, but by Patrick Dempsey’s exit they were formally married and parents to two kids, with the third due. Then Derek died in Grey’s Anatomy season 11. Derek was offered a job in DC, and after many marital arguments relocated part-time, but eventually realized he was miserable without his family. Juast when normalcy for Meredith and Derek seemed established, he got into a car accident while handing in his resignation in DC. His injuries left fatal complications, and Meredith decided to remove him from life support, leading to Derek’s season 11 death. Derek’s departure was not easy for viewers of Grey’s Anatomy, who were left wondering why Patrick Dempsey left after being part of the series for a decade. The reason, it seems was partly Dempsey’s desire to move on and also reports of on-set friction between him, Shonda Rhimes, and Ellen Pompeo.

Related: Grey’s Anatomy: Every Character Who Left The Show & Then Returned

Why Patrick Dempsey Left Grey’s Anatomy In Season 11

The question, “when does Derek die in Grey’s Anatomy, what season does Derek die?” and its even more important follow-up, “why?” both have answers that come down to actor Patrick Dempsey. In 2014, Dempsey signed a two-year contract to remain on the series for its 11th and 12th seasons, but his character was killed in season 11, meaning his contract was not over yet. While it seemed like an abrupt departure, Patrick Dempsey had actually been thinking of leaving the series for a while. In an interview with People in 2016, Dempsey shared it had been “long enough” and it was time for him to move on to other things, adding he “should have moved on a couple of years earlier” and that he “stayed a bit longer” than he should have. Dempsey then revealed that the main reason for him to decide to leave was that it was too time-consuming, not allowing him to spend time with his family.

Dempsey went on to explain he talked about Derek’s fate with Shonda Rhimes, and it was clear to both that it was time to let Derek go, though he had no idea how his departure was going to be handled. Killing off characters seems to be the go-to solution for the team behind Grey’s Anatomy, though Rhimes later justified Derek Shepherd’s death by saying that leaving Meredith wouldn’t have been something he would do, and so everything the series established about him would’ve been a lie. However, there were other reasons behind his departure from the show.

In the book How to Save a Life: The Inside Story of Grey’s Anatomy, former executive producers James D. Parriott and Jeannine Renshaw reveal that Derek’s death in season 11 was, at least in part, due to claims of Dempsey terrorizing the set of the show, allegedly complaining about how time-consuming it all was. What’s more, the producers suggest that the actor butted heads with Shonda Rhimes and Grey’s Anatomy leading lady Ellen Pompeo. Parriott and Renshaw also claim that network and studio executives chatted with them about the situation involving Dempsey. Ultimately, killing off Grey’s Anatomy‘s Derek Shepherd wasn’t easy for the characters or the viewers, but Dempsey was finally free to take as many projects as he wanted and spend time with his family.

How Grey’s Anatomy Brought Back Patrick Dempsey’s Derek

Although Derek officially died in Grey’s Anatomy season 11, the series brought Patrick Dempsey back for several episodes of season 17 as part of Meredith’s COVID-induced coma. This period of the show saw Meredith reconnect with several deceased Grey’s characters on an ethereal beach while her body was in critical condition. Derek’s return was one of the most poignant, as the episodes saw him and Meredith get a fantasy wedding they never had in real life.

Related: Why Grey’s Anatomy Should Bring Back Cristina Yang (Not George & Derek)

The Grey’s Anatomy leading lady survived her COVID-19 ordeal, but it was a touching way to reconnect Meredith and Derek in the show, if only for a little while. Plus, the episode and its decision to bring back Patrick for one last bittersweet hurrah gave viewers at home who were living through their own COVID stories an extra dopamine hit of recognition during a recognizably difficult period. From Dempsey’s perspective, the return’s nature as a limited commitment meant that he could provide joy for fans of the show without jeopardizing his post-Grey’s freedom

What Patrick Dempsey Did After Grey’s Anatomy

Now that the question of which season Derek dies has been answered, what has Patrick Dempsey been up to since leaving Grey’s Anatomy in season 11? Dempsey technically left Grey’s Anatomy in 2015, save for his brief reappearance in 2020, and since then he’s been up to a lot. Directly after Grey’s Anatomy, Dempsey appeared alongside Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth in the 2016 movie Bridget Jones’ Baby. As for other feature films, he also reprised his role of Robert Philip in the Disney sequel Disenchanted. His next feature film will be Ferrari, in which he will portray Piero Taruffi. Presently, Patrick Dempsey can be seen on the small screen in a main role in the TV show Devils, where he plays Dominic Morgan. Dempsey seems to be thriving after his long stint on Grey’s Anatomy, and his career won’t slow down any time soon.

Next: Grey’s Anatomy: Meredith & Derek’s Wedding Note Is Deeper Than You Know