By Liv Ronca ’18

Two long time “Grey’s Anatomy” cast members, Sarah Drew and Jessica Capshaw, will be departing the hit ABC medical drama at the end of season 14.

Drew, who has portrayed April Kepner since season six, and Capshaw, who has portrayed Arizona Robbins since season five, are being written out of the show because of creative decisions made by producers, according to Deadline.

“As writers, our job is to follow the stories where they want to go and sometimes that means saying goodbye to characters we love,” Executive Producer Krista Vernoff told Deadline. “It has been a joy and a privilege to work with these phenomenally talented actresses.”

Fans of the currently 13 season long program are devastated over the loss of these characters. Hannah Eldh ’19 finds herself “very upset” over the departure of these longtime characters. “I feel like it could ruin the show because so many people love these characters,” Eldh said.

Both characters are fan favorites, having over 1.9 million followers on their Instagram accounts. Drew and Capshaw often post photos from behind the scenes of Grey’s Anatomy with their coworkers, including each other.

After learning of their exit from the medical drama at the end of the season, both shared their reactions with fans on their social media pages.

“I know you’re sad. I’m sad, too,” Drew wrote. “For now, I’d like to say: I love you April and her story isn’t over yet.” As for Capshaw, she wrote a similar heartfelt tribute to her character Arizona Robbins, acknowledging that she was able to portray one of the first LGBTQ women to be represented in a series regular role on network television.

Statistics teacher Phillip Abraham also believes the characters’ exit will have a negative impact on the show. He said that the loss of yet another two main characters will cause a number of viewers to quit watching the medical drama.

The final episode of Grey’s Anatomy season 13 titled “Hold Back the River,” the farewell episode for both Capshaw and Drew, will be airing April 5.