Patrick Dempsey's departure from "Grey's Anatomy" earlier this year has shocked a lot of viewers. Fans were so distraught by the move that some even launched an online appeal to bring back Patrick Dempsey on "Grey's Anatomy."

There have been numerous speculations as to why Patrick Dempsey was written out of "Grey's Anatomy." And some theories claimed that it has something to do with her divorce with his estranged wife, Jillian Fink.

"Patrick Dempsey's exit was surrounded by controversy, and instantly sources began leaking info to the presses about the star being fired from Grey's," Celeb Dirty Laundry said.

"While some insiders claimed he was not getting along Shonda Rhimes and his other co-stars, and was a total nightmare to work with, other sources claimed that Patrick's firing had something to do with his high-profile divorce and an affair he was having with one of the staff-members on set."

According to Daily Mail, Patrick Dempsey's wife of 15 years filed for divorce this January. It is expected that the ex-couple would be sharing the custody of their three children.

The reason why Patrick Dempsey's wife filed for divorce was not divulged. If rumors were true that the actor's affair with one of the staff members catapulted his split with his wife, then it could be understandable that the show producers may have felt responsible to set things right.

Speaking at the Television Critics Association's press tour recently, "Grey's Anatomy" creator Shonda Rhimes explained why she had to do the difficult deed to kill off Patrick Dempsey in the show.

"What were the options? Derek was going to walk out on Meredith and leave her high and dry, and what was that going to mean?" Shonda Rhimes said, as quoted by Huffington Post.

"That was going to suggest that their love was not true, that the thing we said for 11 years was a lie, and McDreamy wasn't McDreamy. For me, that was untenable. Meredith and Derek's love had to remain Meredith and Derek's love."