Patrick Dempsey Finally Talks Getting Killed Off Of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ — What Does He Think About The Death Of McDreamy?

Following his controversial departure from Grey’s Anatomy at the end of last season, Patrick Dempsey is finally opening up about his exit from the hit medical drama. Along with discussing how fans reacted to the death of his character, Dr. Derek Shepherd, Dempsey shared his views about whether or not Shonda Rhimes killed his character over personal issues.

While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Dempsey started off by sharing his state of emotions following the final episode of last season, which featured the tragic death of his character and the end of his long-time role in the series.

“I knew it would be heavy like that. I didn’t realize until we did our interview that it was really over,” Dempsey explained. “It started to dawn on me that this is coming to an end, which is why I think I was so moved by it. It was the first time I really stepped back and was starting to witness and to reflect on what had happened. That was the first time I was really saying goodbye to [Derek]. And I wasn’t at all surprised with how people reacted.”

Dempsey went on to admit that the reactions from the fan base, who were by large enraged by the decision to kill off his character, led to him concentrate on other endeavors, including racing. In fact, racing proved to be a “good distraction” for the actor while everyone else tried to cope with his characters’ death.

According to TV Guide, Dempsey still gets approached by fans who have not gotten over the death of his character. In particular, Dempsey explained how a lot of people who approach him make a similar remark in regards to Shepherd’s death.

“‘It’s good to see you’re alive’ is the comment you get. And I’m like, ‘Yes, I’m very much alive in reruns,'” Dempsey stated. “I think that was the thing. People were really invested in that relationship.”

Meanwhile, according to E! Online, Rhimes stirred up more controversy when she later admitted that she had ended the life of a character on one of her shows only because she disliked the actor. Although Rhimes did not reveal the identity of the character she had killed off over personal issues, many took it as a direct stab at Dempsey.

For his part, Patrick Dempsey stated that Rhimes “loves being provocative and that’s fine for who she is,” and he remained elusive about whether or not Rhimes was talking about his character. In fact, Dempsey only had kind words for his former boss, who has been working on a number of different projects this past year.

“That gets people talking about all the stuff that she’s doing. She’s an amazing woman who is incredibly productive. She’s promoting a book. She’s promoting three shows. And she’s emerging as the star of all of these things,” he added in the interview. “I think she knows how to deal with the media and what she needs to say to get the response that she’s looking for. She’s very savvy.”

Given Dempsey’s response, it is still not clear if he was the actor Rhimes referred to. Either way, the former Grey’s Anatomy star went on to state that he has no regrets in his decision to leave the show.

“Oh completely like that, without question. Very happy to have moved on with a different chapter in my life,” he stated.

Although fans will never again see Dempsey in scrubs on the hit medical drama, the actor is currently getting ready to appear in the film Bridget Jones’s Baby, which is set to open in theaters on September 16.

Tell us! Do you think that Shonda Rhimes killed off McDreamy because she did not like Patrick Dempsey? Let us know in the comments below.

[Image via ABC]