The latest shocking Grey's Anatomy cast exit cuts deep.

After playing Dr. Jackson Avery on the popular medical drama for over a decade, actor Jesse Williams will be leaving Grey's Anatomy ahead of the season 17 finale this spring. According to Deadline, the last episode for Jesse's character will air on May 20.

"Jesse Williams is an extraordinary artist and activist. Watching his evolution these past 11 years both on screen and off has been a true gift," Greys Anatomy executive producer and showrunner Krista Vernoff told Deadline in a statement. "Jesse brings so much heart, such depth of care, and so much intelligence to his work. We will miss Jesse terribly and we will miss Jackson Avery played to perfection for so many years."

The fans will also surely miss seeing the Chief of Plastic Surgery every Thursday night. To announce his exit from the series, Jesse posted screenshots of the Deadline report along with a photo of himself in character to his Instagram page. His caption for the heartbreaking post simply read: "Feels ..."

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Immediately, Grey's fans flooded the comment section. "Im not accepting your resignation !! ," one fan wrote. "Cant believe youre leaving us," another said. "Crying on the floor as we speak," someone else said.

Meanwhile, several of Jesse's cast members also had things to say. "Congrats my man! What an awesome run. The water is warm out here looking forward to whats next. ," Giacomo Gianniotti, who recently left the series this year as well, wrote. "Love You. Mama is lost without you," Debbie Allen, who plays Jackson's mother Catherine on the show, said.

What's more, when the Twitter page for Grey's Anatomy tweeted out a gif of Jackson crying, Ellen Pompeo, a.k.a. Meredith Grey herself, responded, "Yeah I know the feeling @iJesseWilliams ."

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Since news about Jesse leaving broke last week, the actor hasn't provided a clear reason for departing the series. That said, the Deadline report does indicate that Jesse's latest two-year contract was coming up at the end of the current season. Jesse had first joined way back in 2009 and was promoted to a series regular following season 6.

Jesse, like his character, will be moving onto different projects. When he signed his new contract in 2019, he reportedly "scaled back duties" on Grey's after preparing to make his Broadway debut for the revival of Richard Greenbergs Take Me Out. Since the project was delayed by the pandemic, the show is expected to open in early 2022.

His IMDB page also notes that Jesse is set to act in the upcoming films Team Joy (he'll also be a producer) and Marked Man.

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Reflecting on his Grey's run, Jesse made it clear that he has enjoyed his time on the series, which tells us he is likely leaving on good terms.

"I will forever be grateful for the boundless opportunities provided me by Shonda [Rhimes], the network, studio, fellow castmates, our incredible crew, Krista, Ellen, and Debbie," Jesse said in a statement to Deadline. "As an actor, director, and person, I have been obscenely lucky to learn so much from so many, and I thank our beautiful fans, who breathe so much energy and appreciation into our shared worlds. The experience and endurance born of creating nearly 300 hours of leading global television is a gift Ill carry always. I am immensely proud of our work, our impact, and to be moving forward with so many tools, opportunities, allies, and dear friends."

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Jesse Williams's Heartbreaking 'Grey's Anatomy' Instagram Is Absolutely Destroying Fans - GoodHousekeeping.com