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[Warning: The following contains spoilers from Thursday's Grey's Anatomy finale. Read at your own risk]
Sara Ramirez is not returning to Grey's Anatomy next season.
The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Thursday's episode was the last one for Ramirez, who says that she is looking forward to some vacation time after 10 years on the hospital drama.
"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," Ramirez said in a statement. "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!"
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There's still room for Ramirez to reappear in the series if she chooses. Thursday's finale saw her character Callie Torres accepting plane tickets from Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) and permission to take their daughter Sophia to New York so that they could live with Callie's girlfriend Penny (Samantha Sloyan). If Ramirez decides to come back to the show it'll be easy enough to say the relationship didn't work out and she can resume work at Grey Sloan Memorial. At the very least, she can fly back to Seattle for big events and finale episodes.
Grey's creator Shonda Rhimes also seems open to that possibility. "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," she also said in a statement.
Ramirez's exit comes after a cryptic tweet last month in which she also said goodbye to the cast and crew. "That's a wrap for Doctor #CallieTorres #Season13#GreysAnatomy #ThankYou all for an enriching & unforgettable#Rollercoaster ride!," she wrote, but her contract was still being negotiated at the time.
Fellow Grey's stars Ellen Pompeo (Meredith), Chandra Wilson (Bailey), James Pickens Jr. (Richard) and Justin Chambers (Alex) are also under contract negotiations for next season, but THR reports they are all likely to return to the series.
Are you sad to see Ramirez and Callie leave the show?