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Although Grey’s Anatomy is incredibly popular, it’s spinoff, Private Practice, didn’t have as impressive of a run. The show lasted seven years, which is pretty good by television standards, but pales in comparison to Grey’s 17 seasons and counting.

But some of the characters from Private Practice found homes at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital after the show ended. One such character is Amelia Shepherd, sister of Derek Shepherd. Amelia became the Head of Neurosurgery at the hospital, but fans were more engaged in her many emotional struggles than her medical ones. 

Amelia was set to marry Owen, but her mom didn’t show up 

CATERINA SCORSONE
CATERINA SCORSONE | Mitch Haaseth/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

After just a short time on staff at Grey Sloan Memorial, Amelia started dating Owen Hunt. The two got engaged very quickly, after a brief on again, off again period of dating. The engagement seemed a little rushed, possibly because both characters were looking to start a family. Owen often talks about wanting kids, and Amelia was in search of stability.

She lived with substance abuse issues, and only had a month or two of sobriety under her belt by the time she and Owen decided to tie the knot. Plus, Amelia lost a baby in the past, and she may have been trying to fill a void in her life. 

When Amelia told her mother that she would be getting married, the Shepherd matriarch told Amelia that she would not be attending the wedding. Additionally, Amelia’s sisters weren’t going to show up either. Amelia was devastated, and her emotional scene in the bathroom on the phone with her mother is now iconic for Grey’s fans. 

Some fans find Amelia’s predicament relatable 

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In a recent Reddit thread, fans discussed Amelia’s emotional scene. Even though the episode aired years ago, fans are still struck by the incredible acting by Caterina Scorsone, who plays Amelia. For some fans, Amelia’s emotional scene made them want to give her a hug.

As one fan wrote: “This scene really hit hard. Imagine your mom not going to your wedding, Derek would be disappointed at his family for not supporting his favorite sister. When I first saw this all I wanted to do was hug her and comfort her.”

For other fans, Amelia’s predicament was just downright relatable. There were commenters who discussed being in similar situations, and having parents who didn’t support their marriages.

As one fan put it, without parental support for their marriage, “We only lasted a couple of years and it was difficult to navigate some of the perils of parenthood without support from our families. We didn’t stand a chance.” 

Other fans don’t think Amelia deserves sympathy 

Not all fans were on Amelia’s side. Some people thought that this was just one of many questionable decisions on her part, and her mother and sisters were right. Amelia has a history of rushing into relationships.

Her substance abuse issues have led to poor decisions in the past, and it’s understandable that Amelia’s mom thought this was just another one of those mistakes. Owen and Amelia didn’t last, so in some ways her mom was right. 

Although other fans still think that Amelia’s mom should have gone to the wedding, even if this was just another one of Amelia’s bad decisions.

As one fan wrote: “Amelia had a tendency to move very fast with men, she was engaged to a man within 2-3 weeks of meeting him, not including the fiance she was with when she first came to Seattle. She also made very irrational, unthoughtful decisions for a long time, especially while she was using. I can understand why her mother wasn’t at the wedding because of this, but it didn’t make it any less sad.”

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