The celebrated actress spoke with ET at the premiere of 'Creed III' in Hollywood on Monday.
While fans recently bid farewell to original Grey's Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo, co-star Debbie Allen is sure this won't be her final time on the long-running medical drama.
Speaking with ET's Nischelle Turner on the red carpet at the premiere of Creed III at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood on Monday, Allen opened up about Pompeo's exit -- and some of the chatter from fans who were a little disappointed that her departure didn't get a bit more fanfare in the episode.
"A lot of people have a lot to say," Allen quipped. "You know, Meredith Grey is taking a journey to another direction, [but] she's still alive. She'll still be coming back to the show. But she is definitely taking a departure."
"The truth is, it's not her last episode," Allen explained. "[She's] leaving Grey Sloan [Memorial Hospital], not Grey's Anatomy."
That being said, Allen -- who stars on the show, as well as serves as executive producer, alongside Pompeo -- said her leaving has been "a big deal for all of us not to have her on set everyday like normal."
"But she's there. I mean, she's still buying food trucks for the crew. She's still coming to judge bake-offs, she's still our number one on the call sheet," Allen added with a warm smile.
Meanwhile, the actress walked the red carpet at the Creed III premiere on Monday in support of her sister, Phylicia Rashad, who stars in the hotly anticipated sequel.
Allen also showed her support for Michael B. Jordan, who not only stars as the titular boxer but also is making his directorial debut with the project.
Allen herself has an expansive career as a director, having helmed episodes of dozens of TV shows -- including 35 episodes of Grey's Anatomy -- and she knew how Jordan was likely feeling as his film made its grand premiere.
"He's gonna be sitting in the back of that theater, listening for the audience reaction," Allen said. "Because you don't know till you put it out there. You know what you've given, and you know what you feel but the audience will speak back to you."
"I'm excited for him," she added, "and I'm excited this franchise has such a big footprint."
Creed III -- starring Jordan, Rashad, Jonathan Majors and Tessa Thompson -- hits theaters Mar. 3. Meanwhile, Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
RELATED CONTENT:
