Katherine Heigl, Patrick Dempsey, Justin Chambers and more stars have left Grey's Anatomy - for various reasons. Created by Shonda Rhimes and starring Ellen Pompeo, Grey's Anatomy debuted on ABC in 2005. Pompeo (Meredith Grey) left the show as a series regular following season 19 but continued to provide voiceover narration and make special guest appearances in later seasons. "I'm going to always be a part of that show," Pompeo told Deadline in 2022. "I'm an executive producer. I spent two decades of my career on [Grey's Anatomy] - it's my heart and soul.