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Sara Ramirez Exits ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ After 10 Years [Spoilers]

By Niki Cruz
Published on: 14:03 PST, May 19, 2016

If you haven’t watched Grey’s Anatomy’s season finale yet, do not read the following as it contains spoilers about the episode.

A few weeks ago, Sara Ramirez sent fans into a panic when she tweeted what seemed to be her swan song after she wrapped on Grey’s Anatomy’s season finale.

Now, we can report via The Hollywood Reporter, that Ramirez has decided to exit the series after a 10 year run on the show. In a statement, the actress said the following.

“I’m deeply grateful to have spent the last 10 years with my family at Grey’s Anatomy and ABC but for now I’m taking some welcome time off. Shonda’s been so incredible to work for and we will definitely continue our conversations! I send my love to Ellen [Pompeo], the rest of the cast and crew, and I look forward to always being a part of the Shondaland family!”

Creator Shonda Rhimes also gave a personal statement about Sara Ramirez and the character she portrayed on the show for 10 years.

“Dr. Callie Torres came into our lives dancing it out in her underwear almost a decade ago and I could not be happier or more proud of her journey. Sara Ramirez’s performance inspired me as well as millions of fans each week. We wish her the best on her well-deserved time off. I will miss Callie tremendously, but am excited for what the future holds for Sara. She will always have a home at Shondaland.”

Many suspected that Ramirez’s tweet meant Callie would exit the show via death, as that is the most popular way main characters of the show have left the series, but fortunately Dr. Torres had a much better fate in the season finale.

Tonight was Grey’s Anatomy’s season finale, and sadly it was possibly the last time we will see the lovely Dr. Callie Torres, a character who became an LGBT icon, as she was one of the first characters featured on a show with who was “fluid” in her sexuality, a term that has only become prominent in our culture in the last few years.

Rhimes seemed proud of the LGBT themes she could explore via the characters of Callie and Arizona. In a statement, the creator said the following.

“One of my favorite things that we did in the [Oct. 23, 2015] Callie and Arizona episode is Callie announcing that she’s bisexual, which by the way, I think nobody has ever done that on television, like ‘I’m bisexual,’ which I think is crazy. I love that she’s determinedly bisexual. She’s not somebody who is straight who discovers she’s a lesbian; she’s bisexual and feels very strongly about that.”

In the season finale, Callie Torres was still reeling from losing custody of her daughter Sofia after she put ex-wife Arizona Robbins on trial. The doctor’s original plan was to move from Seattle to New York with her partner Penny, who took a fellowship in the big apple. Instead, she wound up fighting for custody of her daughter Sofia with Arizona. Instead of moving to New York, Callie broke it off with Penny and stayed in Seattle. Arizona was going to honor the judge’s ruling, but when she saw how happy April and Jackson were with their new baby daughter, Arizona presented Callie with plane tickets.

In essence, she was telling Callie to ride off into the sunset with Penny, who was already in New York. During her speech, Arizona agreed that they would share custody and co-parent they way they were always meant to.

Fans reacted to Callie Torres’ exit in myriad ways.

What did you think of Callie Torres’ exit?

[Photo by ABC]

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