"Grey's Anatomy" fans may have to say goodbye to Patrick Dempsey, who plays Derek Shepherd a.k.a. Doctor McDreamy in the show, as it has been reported that the actor will be leaving the show albeit temporarily, International Business Times reported.

It's been confirmed before that Kevin McKidd, who plays Owen Hunt, will be returning on the show at the same time as Sandra Oh, who plays Christina Yang, will unfortunately be exiting. However, it seems like Oh is not the only one making her way out.

The news of Dempsey's exit was confirmed by series creator Shonda Rhimes herself during an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

She talked about the future of Derek and Meredith, the latter character played by Ellen Pompeo, saying, "We end them in a fairly dark place. He's walking away and she's sort of pushed him out the door. It's like, you call someone's bluff and push them out."

Rhimes revealed that Meredith will definitely be on her own with Derek ending up in Washington and leaving her behind. "It's highly possibly that we might not see Derek for a while," Rhimes said.

Dempsey himself also mentioned the same, announcing in November that he will be leaving the series very soon, according to Cinema Blend.

According to Rhimes though, it's not like he'll be gone for long. She was quick to add, "There will be a time when you see him again, yes, but it's probably that you won't see Derek for a while."

It's unknown whose decision it was for Dempsey to step out for a while. If Dempsey himself asked for it, a likely reason is his alleged divorce with his makeup artist wife, Jillian Fink.

A source told Radar that Fink, 48, filed for divorce from the actor after 15 years of marriage. No reason was stated for the divorce.

During a previous interview, Dempsey talked fondly of his family but shared that he and his wife still did separate things, such as how he went car racing. It was never more apparent at the time of Fink's filing, as Dempsey was at a 24-hour racing event in Florida at Daytona Beach.

The couple also released a statement to PEOPLE, saying, "It is with careful consideration and mutual respect that we have decided to end our marriage."

They added that their "primary concern" was the wellbeing of their children and asked for privacy during the ordeal. The couple has three kids, 7-year-old twins Darby Galen and Sullivan Patrick and 12-year-old Talula Fyfe.

"Grey's Anatomy" will return on Thursday at 8 p.m. on ABC.