"The characters of Arizona and April are permanently woven into the fabric of Grey's Anatomy thanks to the extraordinary work of Jessica Capshaw and Sarah Drew. As writers, our job is to follow the stories where they want to go, and sometimes that means saying goodbye to characters we love. It has been a joy and a privilege to work with these phenomenally talented actresses," co-showrunner and executive producer Krista Vernoff said in a statement.

Capshaw responded to news of her forthcoming exit on Twitter : "For the past 10 years I have had the rare privilege of not only playing Arizona Robbins but also being madly in love with playing her. Arizona Robbins is kind, intelligent, funny, insightful, bold, playful, fierce and really good at her job. Shewas one of the first members of the LGBTQ community to be represented as a series-regular role on network television. Her impact on the world is permanent and forever. Forever. I am grateful that I have gotten to bring her to life and for the life that she has brought to me. I am sad to see her go, but I am consoled by the idea that she will continue to live on and on in all of our consciences and our imaginations. Shonda, thank you for the ride on this incredible rollercoaster."

Capshaw has been with Grey's for 10 seasons, nine as a series regular playing Arizona, the openly gay pediatrics surgeon who has been embraced by the LGBTQ community. With former star Sara Ramirez (Callie), Capshaw was