Jesse Williams Exiting ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ — Read His Touching Statement

Actor Jesse Williams is the latest long-running cast member to leave “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Williams, who has starred as Dr. Jackson Avery on the show for 12 seasons, opened up about his exit in a touching statement.

He told People in a statement, “I will forever be grateful for the boundless opportunities provided me by Shonda [Rhimes], the network, studio, fellow castmates, our incredible crew, Krista [Vernoff], Ellen [Pompeo] and Debbie [Allen].”

Williams continued, “As an actor, director and person, I have been obscenely lucky to learn so much from so many, and I thank our beautiful fans, who breathe so much energy and appreciation into our shared worlds.”

The 39-year-old added, “The experience and endurance born of creating nearly 300 hours of leading global television is a gift I’ll carry always. I am immensely proud of our work, our impact and to be moving forward with so many tools, opportunities, allies and dear friends.”

Showrunner Krista Vernoff praised his work, saying, “Jesse Williams is an extraordinary artist and activist. Watching his evolution these past 11 years both on screen and off has been a true gift.  Jesse brings so much heart, such depth of care, and so much intelligence to his work. We will miss Jesse terribly and we will miss Jackson Avery — played to perfection for so many years.”