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Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 is currently on hiatus until May 2021. However, many fans now know that the season will reunite doctors April Kepner and Jackson Avery (Sarah Drew and Jesse Williams). When Grey’s viewers last saw the former couple, they celebrated April’s marriage to Matthew (Justin Bruening). Jackson also moved on with fellow Grey Sloan surgeons Maggie (Kelly McCreary) and, later, Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington). While discussing April’s return, Drew shared that, although Jackson and Jo are in a “friends with benefits” arrangement, Japril has crossed paths since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Jesse Williams as Jackson Avery and Sarah Drew as April Kepner together again in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 17 Episode 14
Jesse Williams as Jackson Avery and Sarah Drew as April Kepner in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 17 | Richard Cartwright via Getty Images

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 17 characters Jackson and Jo hooked up after his divorce from April

Jackson and April are undoubtedly one of Grey’s Anatomy’s most famous couples. The pair became friends before they transferred to Seattle Grace from Mercy West in season 5. Eventually, they got serious and tied the knot in season 9. However, they decided to split shortly after the death of their son, Samuel. The day the divorce was finalized, April found out she was pregnant with their daughter, Harriet, with who they co-parent. 

Like Jackson, Jo was in a long-term relationship for several seasons. During her intern year, she started dating Dr. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers). Although the couple got married twice on the show, Alex left Jo in season 16. Upon Chambers’ real-life exit, Alex moved to Kansas to be with his ex-wife, Izzie (Katherine Heigl), and their children.

The following year, Jo decided to date someone casually. However, the COVID-19 pandemic made it almost impossible for her to meet anyone new. In Season 17,  Episode 4, she asks Jackson to be her sex buddy. After some hesitation, the plastic surgeon accepted Jo’s offer.

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 17 actor Sarah Drew says Jackson and April reunited during his relationship with Jo 

Williams shared in Feb. 2021 why the arrangement between Jo and Jackson might get messy. 

“This is obviously where, traditionally, lines get blurred, would and people catch feelings,” he said to Access. “There’s a lot of ways for this to go messy. I’m really interested to see if they’re somehow able to walk this line.”

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One month after Williams said the “mature” relationship between Jackson and Jo could get messy, Drew announced she would return to Grey’s Anatomy as April Kepner. She also confirmed on Instagram that the Japril reunion will occur on May 6. In Season 17, Episode 12, “Sign O’ The Times,” Jackson drove away after spending the day helping protesters get better. 

The preview for April’s comeback episode showed various moments from Japril’s past. Although April no longer works at Grey Sloan, Drew shared with ET that Jackson and April are still close friends. The pair often come together to co-parent Harriet, despite Jackson and Jo’s decision to hook up. 

“They’ve seen one another,” Drew admitted. [Jackson and April have]  been co-parenting this whole time. I don’t know exactly what the custody is between the two of them, but he has Harriet sometimes, she has Harriet sometimes. There’s a handoff that’s happening all the time continuously throughout the pandemic.”

Do Jackson and April get back together?

Even though they’ve both moved on, some fans still want to see Jackson and April together again. Their upcoming reunion gave many Grey’s watchers hope, as they expressed on Drew’s Instagram page. Although she didn’t confirm or deny if Japril will find their way back to each other, she did tell ET that “the door was always open” for April and Jackson to appear together on Grey’s. 

Grey’s Anatomy Season 17 airs Thursday nights on ABC.

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