Patrick Dempsey, who plays the role of the neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd in Shonda Rhimes' "Grey's Anatomy," will be leaving for New Zealand next year to attend The Leadfoot Festival.
Veteran Motorsport icon Rod Millen will be hosting the event on his farm at Hahei. The event will feature different classic cars and motorcycles, NZ Herald reported.
Dempsey, who's been running his own car racing team in the United States, will most likely race in one of the latest and fastest Porsche models at the Hillclimb event, on Feb. 6-7.
Dempsey and Millen met a couple of years back when they were competing in desert races. They have built a strong friendship and kept in touch since then.
Apparently, McDreamy had been invited in the past Leadfoot events, but his commitment with the show "Grey's Anatomy" has prevented him from attending. However, his character was killed off by the show's creator, Shonda Rhimes.
"This year, he said 'I can make it next year,'" Millen stated.
His exit from "Grey's Anatomy" a couple of months back became very controversial, and fans were frantic about the unexpected turn of events. Up to this point, avid viewers of the series are still demanding an explanation.
Amid the controversies, rumors surfaced that the 49-year-old actor did not actually leave, rather he was fired. According to Celeb Dirty Laundry, some insiders claimed that he was not getting along with Rhimes and co-workers, while others say it had something to do with an alleged affair with one of the production staff.
"I really couldn't have the idea that he turned out to be a bad guy and walked out on his wife and kids," Rhimes explained. "Derek had to die so that his love for Meredith could remain true and frozen in time."
Despite the explanation, many are still curious on what's the real story behind the camera. Is there any truth to the news that was indeed fired?
On the lighter note, ABC Go found out that season eleven of "Grey's Anatomy" can now be pre-ordered. It will be available in the market on Aug. 18.
"Grey's Anatomy" season 12 premiers Sept. 24 on ABC.
