Grey's Anatomy Creator Finally Explains Why Derek Had to Die

Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes has defended the move to kill Dr Derek Shepherd in the show saying that it was the only way that the true love between Meredith and his character could be preserved.

"The decision to have the character die the way that he did was not a difficult one in the sense of what were the options?" Rhimes said at the 2015 Summer TCA press tour.

"Either Derek was going to walk out on Meredith, and leave her high and dry, and what was that going to mean? That was going to suggest that the love was not true, the thing we had said for 11 years was a lie and McDreamy wasn't McDreamy. For me, that was untenable. "

"Meredith and Derek's love had to remain Meredith and Derek's love. As painful as it was for me as a storyteller, because I had never really thought that was going to happen, it preserved what felt true to me, was that Derek was going to have to die in order for that love to remain honest."

"We had a lot of discussions about it," Rhimes revealed. "It wasn't easy or fun, it is never easy or fun. We've been working really hard for a long time together. We're family. Those choices and those decisions are never easy for any of us."

ABC president Paul Lee spoke of Derek's exit from the series, "It was great, wasn't it? It was great to see 'Grey's Anatomy' so relevant and taking the national conversation in its 11th season. It was a difficult decision.

"Patrick obviously has lots of interests outside. He's very big into motosport. Shonda decided that was the way to go."