Ellen Pompeo is reprising her Meredith Grey role in the already-renewed season 18 of Grey’s Anatomy. However, one report suggests that the actress is destroying the future of the ABC series by using her contract to increase her paycheck. She’s allegedly using this strategy and it could put an end to the medical drama if ever she decided not to sign her future contracts.
Pompeo isn’t satisfied in working anything less than she thinks she’s worth, the latest report from Globe asserted. The actress is making millions from her role in Grey’s Anatomy, but the outlet claimed that this is not enough to make her stay.
She allegedly made another big negotiation to increase her salary even though she’s aware the show’s rating is plummeting.
“If she’s to sign for two more years, Ellen wants a raise from her current $20 million to $25 million per year and her team isn’t budging as they negotiate with Disney/ABC,” the source of the tabloid said.
The outlet added that Disney wants the deal to be done as quickly as possible so it could negotiate with other cast members. Yet, Pompeo is being a “tough negotiator” – which makes her one of the highest-paid actresses on TV. The situation gets more complicated considering her role is the frontrunner of Grey’s Anatomy. If she decides not to renew her contract, there’ll be huge changes in the story.
However, the major problem in the tabloid’s claim is that Pompeo didn’t make any negotiations with either Disney or ABC to increase her paycheck. In fact, in a 2018 interview, the actress talked about getting her fair share in the series. She also recalled the advice from Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes that led her to become the highest-paid actress on a primetime drama.
Aside from asserting Pompeo’s demand, the outlet also noted that the medical drama’s rating plunged. But then, the series remains the top-rated ABC short and the actress contributed a huge part to its success.
Moreover, it should be noted that this report isn’t already new as the story was originally published back in April – a month after the renewal of Grey’s Anatomy season 18.
In addition, the same tabloid has been making several stories about Pompeo in the past. For instance, the outlet reported in 2019 that the actress is quitting the medical drama due to health issues. Then, in 2020, it was said that Meredith will be killed off in the series only to eventually bring the character back to life. None of these claims happened, which proves that the latest one isn’t true, as well.