Patrick Dempsey left Grey's Anatomy mainly because the show's demanding work schedule was too time-consuming, and he wanted to spend more time with his family and pursue other interests. He felt it was "long enough" and should have moved on a couple of years earlier but stayed longer than he intended. The decision to kill off his character Derek Shepherd in Season 11 was made by Dempsey and the show's creator Shonda Rhimes, as they felt Derek would never leave his wife Meredith, so death was the only plausible exit. There were also rumors of on-set tensions, but Dempsey has denied major conflicts and emphasized his personal reasons for leaving. He has since returned for guest appearances in later seasons.
