Ellen Pompeo Hit At Deadline For Insinuating Her Salary Increase Was A Factor In Two Cast Members Getting Chopped
Deadline is taking some heat for a recent article reporting that Grey’s Anatomy is losing two regular cast members after the current 14th season. Deadline reported that both Jessica Capshaw, who’s been on that bitch for 10 seasons playing Dr. Arizona Robbins, and Sarah Drew, who’s played Dr. April Kepner for 9 seasons, didn’t get their contracts renewed. The story itself was not controversial but Deadline’s reporting has been interpreted by some as sexist for insinuating that Grey’s star Ellen Pompeo’s fat checks were a factor.
Here’s what Deadline said that got panties in a bunch (and not on the floor of the on-call room where they usually are on this show):
The decision not to bring back Capshaw and Drew comes on the heels of the blockbuster new Pompeo pact that gave her a significant salary increase, paying her as much as $20 million a year.
That didn’t sit well with Ellen who #tooktotwitter to express her disappointment with Deadline.
Its unfortunate that @DEADLINE chooses to try to pit women against eachother on #InternationalWomensDay #shameonyounotme
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) March 8, 2018
I'm a big girl @DEADLINE can take shots at me if they want but to the fans please don't fall into that trap. This is above my pay grade
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) March 8, 2018
Defending their reporting, Deadline jumped into action and printed the following update:
UPDATE: While Deadline’s story stressed that the decision for Capshaw and Drew’s exits was strictly creative, the mention of the big new deal for Pompeo, which helped secure a renewal for Grey’s, led to online speculation about a possible connection between the two.
There is no such connection that we are aware of. Because this has become an issue, pitting women against each other on International Women’s Day, we are making it clear. Here is Vernoff’s statement on the fallout:
Regarding #GreysAnatomy and @EllenPompeo pic.twitter.com/d2ynURphsR
— Krista Vernoff (@KristaVernoff) March 8, 2018
Seems like a lot of drama for a show that’s so long in the tooth that even the horse dentist recommends euthanasia. I don’t even get what Ellen’s salary has to do with it. Neither Jessica or Sarah had anything to do with the decision to kick Arizona and April to the curb. Grey’s has never shied away from killing off major characters in the name of high drama. Cast members have been taken out by car crashes, plane crashes, bus crashes, bombs inside of people, mass shootings, electrocutions, brain tumors and even the hiccups. If you value your life and your name isn’t Meredith Grey, Seattle Grace is the LAST place you want to be.
Pic: Instagram