Ellen Pompeo Breaks Her Silence After Justin Chambers' Grey's Anatomy Exit
Grey’s Anatomy won’t be the same without Justin Chambers.
On Saturday, one day after news broke that Chambers was leaving the show after 16 seasons, costar Ellen Pompeo briefly addressed his exit on Twitter.
Responding to a Tweet from Vanity Fair about the news, which proclaimed that “#GreysAnatomy is about to feel one of its biggest losses yet,” the actress, 50, shared that she couldn’t agree more.
“Truer words have never been spoken,” Pompeo wrote of her fellow original cast member, including a broken heart emoji.
ABC confirmed to PEOPLE on Friday that Chambers, 49, had left the show after 16 seasons. His final episode aired on Nov. 14, 2019.
Chambers was an original cast member of the medical drama with Pompeo.
RELATED: Justin Chambers’ Dr. Alex Karev Left Grey’s Anatomy on a Heroic Note: Revisit His Final Moments
“There’s no good time to say goodbye to a show and character that’s defined so much of my life for the past 15 years,” Chambers said in a statement to PEOPLE. “For some time now, however, I have hoped to diversify my acting roles and career choices. And, as I turn 50 and am blessed with my remarkable, supportive wife and five wonderful children, now is that time.”
Chambers added, “As I move on from Grey’s Anatomy, I want to thank the ABC family, Shonda Rimes, original cast members Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens, and the rest of the amazing cast and crew, both past and present, and, of course, the fans for an extraordinary ride.”
Deadline was the first to report the news of Chambers’ exit.
Because Chambers’ last episode aired on Nov. 14 — he was absent from the midseason finale and it was explained that he was taking care of his ailing mother — the character will not get a send-off episode.
Chambers and Pompeo ended their time on the show with a bang as in his final episode, the show’s 350th, during which his character stands up for Meredith Grey (Pompeo) as she faced the medical board to determine if she could have her medical license reinstated following an insurance fraud scandal.
In his final frames, Alex was among his friends and colleagues as Meredith’s lawyer revealed that his efforts worked — and Meredith’s license was reinstated.
It remains to be seen how the show will explain Alex’s exit.
Grey’s Anatomy‘s midseason premiere airs on Jan. 23 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.