Grey’s Anatomy showrunner says she didn’t want Alex’s departure make Jo go through more ‘dark storytelling’
Her husband upped and left her for his ex-wife leaving her a ‘Dear John’ letter,
But while fans of Grey’s Anatomy may have been surprised at how well Dr. Jo Wilson coped with the sudden departure of her spouse, showrunner Krista Vernoff says there’s good reason for the character’s resilience.
Speaking to TVLine, Vernoff explained that she couldn’t face putting Jo, played by Camilla Luddington, through yet another dark story arc.
Change: Her husband upped and left her for his ex-wife leaving a ‘Dear John’ letter. But fans of Grey’s Anatomy were surprised at how well Dr. Jo Wilson coped with the sudden departure
‘She had so beautifully gone through many months of very dark storytelling, and I didn’t want any of us to watch Jo go into a hole again,’ Vernoff said.
The character had suffered domestic abuse at the hands of her first husband and learned from her birth mother that she was the product of rape.
The departure of pediatric surgeon Dr. Alex Karev came about because original castmember Justin Chambers decided to quit the drama after 16 seasons.
His relationship with Jo had become frayed and in the end, Vernoff said that learning he had left to be with his ex-wife Izzie Stevens and their young twins gave Jo some peace.
‘Getting an answer finally allowed her to strangely feel better than she had when she was just in the dark,’ she told TVLine.
‘Jo had imagined every possible worst-case scenario. And even though one of them came true, just having the information allowed her to move on. It felt like she had done a lot of grieving for the relationship in the weeks prior to receiving that letter.’
Took pity: Showrunner Krista Vernoff told TVLine Jo’s resilience was deliberate because she couldn’t face putting Jo, played by Camilla Luddington, through yet another dark story arc
On screen split: The departure of pediatric surgeon Dr. Alex Karev came about because original castmember Justin Chambers decided to quit the drama after 16 seasons
Season 16 came to a truncated end due to the shutdown of production caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But there will be a season 17.
Meanwhile, Luddington has had some happy personal news to share lately.
Last month, the actress, 36, took to Instagram to reveal she and actor husband Matthew Alan are expecting their second child together.
‘Okay so… Matt and I are so happy to fiiiiinally post after months of “hiding” that i am pregnant! We are beyond excited to add to our little family and give Hayden a sibling,’ she wrote.
The couple’s daughter Hayden turned two in March.
Pregnant: Luddington has had some happy personal news to share lately. Last month, the actress, 36, revealed she and actor husband Matthew Alan are expecting their second child