Grey’s Anatomy fans are mourning the loss of another fan favorite, however, this time no one died.
Jerrika Hinton, who plays Stephanie Edwards on the hit show is saying goodbye.
During Thursday night’s episode, Edwards decided to leave Grey Sloan Memorial after a tense hostage situation and an explosion.
Hinton’s character had gone through many ups and downs on the show, including being embarrassed in front of all her co-workers when Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) decided to publicly reveal that he was in love with April Kepner (Sarah Drew) —a moment that really made us want to give Jackson and April these hands.
In real life, however, Hinton’s relationship with her co-star was stellar, making her departure bittersweet.
In a heartfelt message shared on Instagram, Hinton thanked fans who tuned in to see a woman like her. “To the ones who look like me — it is for you that my heart burns brightest,” she said. “I hear you when you say I represent you. Thank you for your warmth and patience. I see you, sis!”
Hinton is now headed to HBO for a new series called Here, Now about a contemporary multi-racial family. She’ll join Holly Hunter and Tim Robbins.
We’ll miss seeing Stephanie Edwards roaming the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial, but we can’t wait to see what Jerrika does next.
