‘Grey’s Anatomy’: How Did Andrew DeLuca Die?
Grey’s Anatomy fans were heartbroken when Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) died. But for some viewers, the death was completely unexpected because the whole incident was part of a crossover event with the firefighter spinoff, Station 19. So how did DeLuca die on Grey’s Anatomy? Here’s a breakdown of the two tragic episodes.
How Andrew DeLuca died in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 17 Episode 7
In Station 19 Season 4 Episode 6, titled “Train in Vain,” DeLuca tracked down sex trafficker Opal (Stephanie Kurtzuba). Then at the end of the episode, a man bumped into DeLuca, knocking him to the ground. But viewers didn’t realize what happened until later.
Carina (Stefania Spampinato) found DeLuca on the floor, covering a stab wound. DeLuca was taken to Grey Sloan Memorial in an ambulance. Then Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 Episode 7, titled “Helplessly Hoping,” picked up where Station 19 left off.
Teddy Altman (Kim Raver) and Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) worked hard to save DeLuca. At first, the trauma surgeons seemed to succeed. But Grey’s Anatomy pulled a Mark Sloan (Eric Dane), and DeLuca started to crash.
In the end, DeLuca lost too much blood, and he died in the operating room. Time of death — 22:50. That said, DeLuca was given a proper goodbye on Meredith Grey’s (Ellen Pompeo) dream beach. Then in his final scene, the beloved Grey’s Anatomy character walked away with his mother.
Giacomo Gianniotti on Andrew DeLuca’s death and leaving ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
Following DeLuca’s last episode on Grey’s Anatomy, Gianniotti opened up about his exit in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. The actor revealed showrunner Krista Vernoff and executive producer Debbie Allen initially told him about killing off DeLuca. And ultimately, Gianniotti was more than happy to tell his character’s “beautiful story.” He said:
It was a really beautiful story and an opportunity to highlight a huge issue of human trafficking and its horrible, horrible impact on the world and the U.S., and there was an opportunity to have DeLuca die a hero and to have justice brought to these perpetrators and horrible people who had been hurting these young girls.
The former Grey’s Anatomy star also noted that he was ready to leave the show.
“I’ve been on the show for a long time — seven seasons — and I think this is a good time to exit and have a fresh start,” Gianniotti said.
Giacomo Giannotti on returning as Andrew DeLuca on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
While DeLuca was killed off in Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 Episode 7, fans saw the character again a few episodes later in Teddy’s dream state. So what are the chances DeLuca will return? When speaking with Digital Spy in April 2021, Gianniotti suggested he won’t come back anytime soon. But he’s leaving the door open for the future.
“I think that’s a wrap on DeLuca,” Gianniotti said. “But never say never, you know. … It’s always possible, and I’d of course love an opportunity to go back and see all my friends again.”
