Is Patrick Dempsey Leaving Grey’s Anatomy?

The upcoming eighth season of Grey’s Anatomy will likely be the last for Patrick Dempsey, who plays Dr. Derek Shepherd.

“It’s gonna be my last,” Dempsey said in the latest issue of Italian Vanity Fair. “I do not know what’s going to happen to the other characters, but for me it’s done.”

Dempsey’s rep released a statement earlier today saying that the actor was referring to his contract expiring and plans for the future are still being discussed.

The situation is reminiscent of similar remarks made by Dempsey’s co-star Ellen Pompeo. Pompeo also made statements that the upcoming season would be her last, only to backtrack and say that she had not yet been asked to renew her contract.

For her part, the show’s creator Shonda Rhimes is preparing for the eighth season to be the last for the original cast members, including Dempsey, Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, Sandra Oh and Justin Chambers.

“It might be the last hurrah for a lot of them; you never know,” Rhimes told TVLine. “I really don’t know and I don’t presume to know. Everybody has an individual choice to make and I get that…. All the originals are in play.”

Will you watch Grey’s Anatomy without Dr. McDreamy? What other characters would you be sad to see go?