"Grey's Anatomy" lead star Ellen Pompeo recently expressed her frustration with fans of the ABC series for thinking it will not survive without Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey).
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Pompeo pointed out how the female lead stars of "Scandal" and "How to Get Away With Murder" could survive and make a name for themselves without needing a man.
However, the actress pointed out that there seems to be a misconception when it comes to her character, Meredith Grey.
According to Hollywood Life, the actress made a really good point at stressing the importance of her character to the success of the series.
Not only is "Grey's Anatomy" titled after the character's surname, Meredith has also survived 12 seasons on the show. The only character who has survived that long on the show are Alex (Justin Chambers), Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Dr. Webber (James Pickens Jr.).
Meanwhile, while at the 2015 Television Critics Association summer press tour, executive producer Shonda Rhimes talked about what is in store for Meredith in season 12.
After fans speculated that new cast member Martin Henderson will become Pompeo's new onscreen partner, Rhimes slammed rumors and said that a new love interest for Meredith is not a priority.
"I think Meredith is in a rebirth and she's evolving. I'm watching the character do what the character's doing and I'll see where it goes. I'm not going to say we're definitely not doing it, because I could be wrong, but that's not my plan right now," she said.
"Grey's Anatomy" season 12 will premiere on ABC on Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. ET.