WARNING: The following post contains SPOILERS about last Thursday's episode of "Grey's Anatomy."

"Grey's Anatomy" star Ellen Pompeo is speaking out for the first time following last Thursday's shocking installment of the long-running ABC series.

The episode in question featured the death of Pompeo's onscreen husband, Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), who was struck by a truck and succumbed to his injuries at an ill-equipped hospital. Pompeo's character, Meredith Grey, makes the decision to take him off of life support after it becomes clear that Derek has suffered irreversible brain damage.

On Monday, Pompeo released a statement on Twitter about the game-changing storyline, and what it means for Meredith moving forward. Her character is now a widowed mother of two young children, and Pompeo indicated that dealing with Meredith's grief following such tragedy would become an integral part of the series -- and she was taking inspiration from real-life struggles faced by others.

"There are so many people out there who have suffered tremendous loss and tragedy. ... People who get up each day and do what feels like the impossible," Pompeo wrote. " ... So it is for these people and in the spirit of resilience I am honored and excited to tell the story of how Meredith goes on in the face of what feels like the impossible. I hope you will join me on her journey."

Check out the actress's full statement below.


[via: Ellen Pompeo]

Photo credit: Frazer Harrison via Getty Images