Ellen Pompeo Hinted At When 'Grey's Anatomy' May End, So Prepare To Weep

Get ready to sob, Grey’s Anatomy fans — and no, not because of something that's going to happen on the show. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ellen Pompeo hinted Grey’s Anatomy could end with Season 16. Yes, the folks at Grey Sloan Memorial may soon scrub in one last time. (Bustle reached out to ABC for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.)

According to Deadline, the star of the long-running primetime drama told EW,

“I’m clearly not prepared right now to make any formal announcement about what my future is on the show, but I am really feeling like we have told the majority of the stories that we can tell. It’s about time that I mix it up. I’m definitely looking for a change.”

Whether she moves on from the series after two more seasons or not, Pompeo’s decision will come from a place of love. “I still care very much about the show,” she told EW.

And if Pompeo’s done after two more seasons? It sounds like Grey’s will be done, too. In November of last year, Shonda Rhimes revealed to E! News that the show would not go on without Meredith Grey. She explained,

“Ellen and I have a pact that I'm going to do the show as long as she's going to do the show. So the show will exist as long as both of us want to do it. If she wants to stop, we're stopping. So I don't know if we'll see 600, but I want to keep it feeling fresh. As long as there are fresh stories to tell and as long as we're both excited about the stories being told, we're in. So, we'll see where that takes us."

When Pompeo's ready to mix it up, Grey's will follow suit.

And unfortunately for Grey's fans, it sounds like it'll happen sooner rather than later. When talking to Us Weekly in May, Pompeo said she does see the end on the horizon. She shared,

“Yeah, for sure there’s an end. And we’re getting there. Shonda and I will make that decision together … I think I do know [how it ends] in my head, but I’m not going to say it here.”

If Grey's does indeed end soon, it probably won't happen for at least two seasons. As Variety reported back in January, Pompeo signed a two-year extension this year. So, she’s still on for Season 15 and Season 16 (assuming Season 16 happens, of course).

On April 20, a few weeks before the Season 14 finale aired, ABC announced that Season 15 got an order. President of ABC Entertainment, Channing Dungey, said in a statement,

"Grey's Anatomy has a special place in my heart and millions of viewers feel the same way. Thanks to fiercely loyal fans who have been on this journey since the beginning, and new generations of viewers who continue to discover the joy and drama of Grey Sloan Memorial, the show is as strong as ever."

The fifteenth season is slated to premiere on Sept. 27.

Season 16, on the other hand, isn’t set in stone, but considering Pompeo’s two-year deal (and, you know, the series’ popularity), it seems like a safe bet. But after that, brace yourself and get ready to weep like you're watching the most gut-wrenching episodes of Grey's Anatomy. Because Meredith Grey may be tip top ready to go, go, go.