Ellen called out the publication in a series of tweets, writing, “I’m a big girl @DEADLINE can take shots at me if they want but to the fans please don’t fall into that trap. This is above my pay grade.”

Showrunner Krista Vernoff also chimed in on the discourse, tweeting, “The decision to make changes to our cast was a creative one. The only thing as constant on Grey’s Anatomy as Ellen Pompeo is our penchant for reinvention.”