Grey's Anatomy Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

fans… the show has been renewed for season 18!ABC made the exciting announcement on Monday, and ET has learned that Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens, Jr. (the OG stars of ) will all be back for the new season.

Sarah Drew is peeling back the curtains on how her return came to be.The former series regular came back for Thursday's episode to provide closure for Jackson and April's story, as well as to send Jesse Williams off as he prepares to leave the long-running medical show in his final episode on May 20.

The season 17 of Grey's Anatomy has been an extremely special one with some of the show's fan favourite characters making a return for special episodes. After Patrick Dempsey's Derek Shepard and other actors such as T.

has already seen the likes of Patrick Dempsey, T. R.

Jesse Williams will be leaving the series after the end of season 17, ET has confirmed.Williams, who has played Dr. Jackson Avery on ABC's long-running medical drama for nearly 12 seasons and over 250 episodes, was first introduced midway through the sixth season.

Chyler Leigh steps behind the camera to direct Tuesday's episode of The CW superhero drama — and it's not your typical hour of high-flying action. The conclusion of a two-part flashback arc set in 2009 Midvale, which turns back the dial to further explore the dynamics between Kara Danvers (Izabela Vidovic) and her sister, Alex (Olivia Nikkanen), in their younger years, picks up right where things left off.

Patrick Dempsey is happy with his  character's emotional return and heavenly wedding.

Sarah Drew returns to  as fan-favorite April Kepner in the May 6 episode, «Look Up Child,» reuniting her with former co-star Jesse Williams in what's sure to be a deeply emotional hour.

following Thursday's episode, and the next installment, which airs in two weeks, is sure to be an emotional one. In the 30-second teaser, Jackson (Jesse Williams) psyches himself up as he drives to someone's home -- in the pouring Seattle rain — and nearly loses the will to stick with the plan that got him there in the first place. «This seems impulsive and out of nowhere, but it's not,» Jackson tries to assure himself after he rings the doorbell.

Ellen Pompeo) — still dealing with the effects of COVID-19 and coming in and out of consciousness -- was faced with an impossible decision: go back to the living or stay on the beach, which had become her «safe place» during her COVID recovery and reunite in the afterlife with Derek (Patrick Dempsey). The answer ended up being a simple one, though it took Meredith a while to get there because either way, she was letting go.

Grey's Anatomy.

Chyler Leigh wasn't the only familiar face to pop by on Thursday.Eric Dane, who played Mark «McSteamy» Sloan for seven seasons, returned to the world in the latest episode, reuniting his character with Leigh's Lexie Grey for the first time in nearly a decade.If you remember, Mark perished in the season 9 premiere following the fatal plane crash that killed his love, Lexie, in the eighth season finale.

Chris O'Donnell is getting some cool dad points thanks to Netflix.

Chyler Leigh, who played Meredith's half-sister Lexie (aka Little Grey) from 2007 to 2012, pops up on the beach alongside Meredith for a long anticipated (but not-so-normal) family reunion. It all starts off well and good with Meredith looking out over the waves on the sunny beachscape she's subconsciously called her «safe place.» But when someone hands her a towel and she takes it, it dawns on her that it's not just a stranger doing a kind deed, but Lexie.«Lexie?» Meredith says, almost stunned

, titled «In My Life,» the cardiothoracic surgeon struggles to cope with being unsuccessful in her attempt at taking Meredith off the ventilator and DeLuca's death, the insurmountable weight triggers memories of her traumatic past and PTSD.

Sarah Drew for an episode in season 17, but the cast is keeping any details about her anticipated return to Grey Sloan under lock and key.«Nothing!» star Kim Raver told ET's Katie Krause on Monday when asked what she could divulge about Drew, who played Dr. April Kepner for nine seasons before leaving at the end of season 14.

a death like DeLuca's? The answer: painfully.For the firefighters and doctors of and DeLuca's death put into sharp focus the priorities in their lives and, if there ever was a silver lining to a tragedy, served as the impetus for action and change.

Jesse Williams and Sarah Drewreunited for the first time on set three years after Drew left the ABC medical drama at the end of season 14. The former co-stars posted video and photos to their respective Instagram pages Tuesday morning to commemorate the special occasion.Drew is set to return to for an upcoming episode in season 17.«Nbd.

Ellen Pompeo is thanking Giacomo Gianniotti. Following 's shocking midseason premiere, in which Gianniotti's Dr.

Sarah Drew is headed back to Grey Sloan.The actress will be returning to reprising her role as fan-favorite Dr. April Kepner for an upcoming season 17 episode, ABC confirms to ET.News of Drew's return Friday comes on the heels of former series regulars Patrick Dempsey and T.R.

Grey's Anatomy has been an emotional roller coaster from the very start, and all these seasons later, the show is no different.

goodbye to a fan favorite during Thursday's midseason premiere, but a new teaser for next week's episode promised return of Patrick Dempsey's Derek Shepherd.The aftermath of Andrew DeLuca's unexpected (and we'll say it, ) death following a fatal stab wound is bound to have a long-lasting, life-changing impact on his sister, Carina, and his fellow doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

met an unexpectedly tragic end.Thursday's two-hour midseason premiere event, a crossover between and saw Dr. Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) trying to trail and capture a sex trafficker and ultimately getting stabbed in the chest.At first, the injury seemed to be a brush with death, as DeLuca was saved in surgery and all seemed to be well.

three-month hiatus, and picked up right where the action left off -- and unfortunately, it meant a devastating fate for one of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital's beloved doctors.The two-hour midseason crossover premiere event Thursday kicked off with Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) and his sister, Carina DeLuca (Stefania Spampinato), impulsively tailing Erin Banks, the sex trafficker who ruined lives last season and resurfaced when several young girls were abducted on .

as season 17 resumes, and in a new interview, showrunner Krista Vernoff revealed she's approaching the end of the current season on dual tracks, which includes the potential end for ABC's biggest hit.«I'm planning a season and a finale that could function as either a  finale or a series finale,» Vernoff told . «I'm planning for both contingencies and it's hard and it's not ideal.

Shonda Rhimes gave the world what would become a hit television series known as the medical drama,  . And now, the fandom couldn't be bigger — or more loyal.first debuted in 2005.

Shonda Rhimes gave the world what would become a hit television series known as the medical drama,  . And now, the fandom couldn't be bigger — or more loyal.first debuted in 2005.

Camilla Luddington is sharing a sweet snap of her 6-month-old son, Lucas. The Grey's Anatomy star took to Instagram to share a photo of her baby boy, dressed in a bright red sweater, gazing down at a large picture book he had propped in his hands.

Ellen Pompeo, the show's star and executive producer, admitted that both her character's fate and that of the show is up in the air.«I can't say. We honestly have not decided.

Jesse Williams is crossing his fingers for a Japril reunion. ET's Katie Krause spoke to the 39-year-old star, and he revealed that he's hoping for his character, Jackson Avery, to reunite with his ex-wife, April Kepner. Sarah Drew, who played April, left the show in 2018 after nine seasons.«They are incredible together,» Williams told ET of Jackson and April.