Grey's Anatomy alum Eric Dane reveals real reason behind exit from show

Grey's Anatomy alum Eric Dane has hinted that there was more to the reason behind his so-called exit from the long-running ABC series.

Dane, 51, shared his speculation regarding his exit during a recent episode of Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast.

“I didn’t leave so much as I think I was let go,” he said of his role in Grey's Anatomy for six seasons from 2006 to 2012.

While he acknowledged his struggle with drug and alcohol addiction toward the end of his run on the show, he also claimed that there was more to it than just his struggle with substances.

“I was struggling. They didn’t let me go because of that, although it definitely didn’t help,” he told the host.

“I was starting to become — as most of these actors who have spent significant time on the show — you start to become very expensive for the network,” he added.

“And the network knows that the show is going to do what it’s going to do irrespective of who they keep on it—as long as they have their Grey they were fine.”

Dane went on to explain that he “wasn’t the same guy they had hired” so he understood when the producers decided to let him go.

However, he credited the show creator Shonda Rhimes for protecting them 'fiercely' despite his suspicions that he was fired.

“She protected us fiercely. She protected us publicly, she protected us privately… I love Shonda Rhimes and she protected me but I was probably fired,” Dane recalled.

“It wasn’t ceremoniously like, ‘You’re fired,’ it was just like, ‘You’re not coming back,'” he said.

The Bad Boys: Ride or Die actor admitted that he was sober for 'three or four years' before he was hired on Grey’s but relapsed during the 2007 Writers Guild of America Strike.

Dane’s character died as a result of the plane crash featured in the Season 8 finale. While he survived that specific episode, his character eventually passed away at the start of Season 9.