'Grey's Anatomy' fires doctor ahead of high-stakes finale

Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY Fri, May 1, 2026 at 5:51 PM UTC

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The future of a lead doctor on "Grey's Anatomy" is unclear after their firing before the Season 22 finale.

Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) fired Dr. Benson Kwan (Harry Shum Jr.) offscreen in the penultimate episode of the ABC series' latest season, aired Thursday, April 30. Richard fired Kwan after discovering the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital surgical resident had secretly given a patient an experimental, FDA-denied treatment earlier in the season. He confirmed the move to longtime Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), who previously took the blame for the incident.

USA TODAY has reached out to the show and Shum's reps for comment.

The shakeup is leading up to the Season 22 finale, in which the fate of two longtime core characters is a bit clearer.

Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver to leave 'Grey's Anatomy' after 16 seasons

Kevin McKidd's Dr. Owen Hunt and Kim Raver's Dr. Teddy Altman are both set to exit the long-running ABC medical drama after the Season 22 finale, the actors confirmed in March. Their exits are due to creative decisions based on a storyline, but the door is open for their characters returning in the future, USA TODAY understands.

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In Thursday's episode, Owen finds out that Teddy is considering a job in Paris, causing an argument. The episode ends with Teddy getting a voicemail from Owen and overhearing a bridge collapse and car crash that may be fatal.

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Isaiah Washington (Dr. Preston Burke, Seasons 1-3): The quiet but intense cardiothoracic surgeon left fiancée Cristina Yang at the altar in the Season 3 finale. Burke went on to win a prestigious award at another hospital and later ran a private research hospital in Switzerland, which he later turned over to Yang when Oh left at the end of Season 10. He then moved to Italy with his wife and two daughters.

The show "has been a huge chapter of my life, creatively and personally, and I'm deeply grateful for everything the show has given me over the years," McKidd said in a statement shared with USA TODAY.

McKidd has portrayed the trauma surgeon since the Season 5 premiere in 2008. Raver's cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Teddy, made her "Grey's Anatomy" debut in Season 6.

Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Grey's Anatomy' fires Dr. Kwan before Season 22 finale. What to know

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