Ellen Pompeo has no interest in leaving 'Grey's Anatomy'

Ellen Pompeo is adamant to continue portraying Meredith Grey in Shonda Rhimes' hit medical show Grey's Anatomy.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the actress' contract earns her $20 million a year.

“[Exiting] would make no sense, emotionally or financially,” Pompeo said. 

She has portrayed Meredith since the show premiered in 2005. But because she wanted to spend more time with her family, Pompeo negotiated to have her episodes reduced in 2022.

“The show was streamed more than a billion times in 2024. More than a billion times. The companies that own the show and stream the show make a lot of money from our images and our voices and our faces," Pompeo added.

Ultimately, she wouldn't want anyone to profit off of her hard work.

“Them having the ability to use my voice, my likeness, my image, 47 billion minutes a year and not paying me a penny wouldn’t really feel great to me,” she said to Variety.

“People don’t stream the last 10 years more than they stream the first 10 years. Most people stream the first 10 years the most, and there’s no residual structures for any of those writers, actors, directors. That, to me, is really shitty and really unfair. So, me being on the show a little bit and still getting to at least make money from them profiting off of us is more digestible for me. That’s why I stay on, to be honest," Pompeo added.

Grey's Anatomy is currently in its 22nd season.