If last night’s Grey’s Anatomy season 12 finale had you wondering what Callie’s future will look like, we now know it’s because Sara Ramirez has decided to leave the series.
Last night after the finale, Ramirez released a statement to Entertainment Weekly stating that she taking some time off. Ramirez explained the goodbye on Grey’s Anatomy by saying, “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, the rest of the cast and crew, and I look forward to always being a part of the Shondaland family!”
Ramirez wasn’t part of the original cast, but she did join in the second season and has always been well loved by fans. This comes as a shock to many since she was so active in the Shondaland community it didn’t seem like she’d be leaving any time soon. However, since her character only moved away in a temporary situation it is always possible Callie could return.
Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes also released a statement on the departure saying, “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.”
Personally, I didn’t even realize that it was a goodbye to the character when the season finale aired. Usually when a cast leaves it’s made into a much bigger deal. Instead, Callie was simply handed some plane tickets by Arizona with permission to move Sofia to New York. Though I’m glad her character wasn’t killed off or anything overly dramatic, I still wish that Callie could have been featured more in her final episode. Hopefully it won’t be her last ever.