A formerGrey's Anatomy star has reflected on being dropped from the show, calling the way it was handled "mean and unjust".

Sarah Drew first appeared in the long-running medical series as Dr April Kepner in season five and, in the same way her co-star Eric Dane was suddenly axed from the show, Drew did not have her contract extended when season 14 was being prepped.

Drew has now spoken out against her departure, telling Call It What It Is podcast that she "was unceremoniously let go in a way that felt mean and unjust, and because of that, the outpouring of love was so enormous it was like you were sitting there watching people [eulogise you]."

The actor addressed her fans about the development when news of her exit was first reported by Deadline. She wrote on X/Twitter: "I know you're sad. I'm sad too. I haven't really had the time to process this information.

"I've been with it for less than 48 hours, so I'm not ready to say my thank yous and give an all encompassing statement about my nine years here."

Drew briefly returned to the show three seasons later and, explaining her decision to accept the gig, she told the podcast hosts, her former co-stars Jessica Capshaw and Camilla Luddington: "I have no attachment to [the show] at all. I had zero anxiety. I don't need anything from anyone on that set anymore. They're not responsible for my livelihood anymore. They're not responsible for my success or my joy... I'm like, 'Hey, this is a fun spot to come visit.'"

Elsewhere in the interview, Drew revealed that her character was supposed to have a one-night stand with Dane's Dr Mark Sloan, who was known by fans as McSteamy - the best friend and love rival of Patrick Dempsey's Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd.

She told the podcast: "Before they made my character love Jesus and a virgin, there's a scene where Sloan and Reed [Nora Zehetner] have sex, a random one-night stand. That was supposed to be me originally. It was supposed to be April.

"April was supposed to have some random one-off with Sloan, and it was in the original production draft [of the script], and then they changed it. I didn't have anything to do with it, but then they changed their mind."

In June, Dane revealed that he was "probably fired" from Grey's Anatomy, stating: "I didn't leave so much as I was let go."