Grey’s Anatomy season 21 premiere honors Stephanie Leifer (Dedication explained)

The Grey’s Anatomy season 21 premiere left fans with quite a lot to process as the episode ended with a series of cliffhangers, but it also ended on a bit of an unexpectedly somber note in the form of a dedication that has piqued the curiosity of the show’s longtime fans. 

“In memory of Stephanie Leifer,” read the dedication card that aired at the conclusion of the season 21 premiere. It was a moment designed to pay tribute to Leifer, who played a key role behind the scenes in helping bring Grey’s Anatomy to our screens. 

Liefer was a former ABC executive who spent almost three decades working at ABC before stepping away from the company in 2022. Sadly, Liefer passed away this June at the age of 56 after a battle with cancer and the dedication card was a way to honor the late executive. 

“Stephanie was a beloved member of the Disney Entertainment Television family for nearly three decades, and our hearts are broken by the devastating news of her passing,” ABC said in a statement via Variety released earlier this year in celebrating Liefer's life and legacy. “She was a highly admired executive, whose creative impact was only matched by the relationships she nurtured both within the company and across the industry. Our sincerest condolences go out to her family, especially her husband and our colleague, Jonathan, and their two beautiful children, Amelia and Noah.” 

Though Liefer’s name might not immediately ring a bell to Grey’s Anatomy fans, she played a key role in helping to make the show the hit series it has become. In her role as executive vice president of current programming, Liefer overall the network’s programming slate which included Grey’s Anatomy, and was quite a champion for the show from the start. 

“Stephanie Leifer was an incredible person and devoted champion of Grey’s. She truly believed in us from the early years all the way through and supported our creative vision,” current Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Meg Marinis told Deadline in speaking about the decision to dedicate the premiere to Leifer. “I started my career as a PA, delivering Grey’s scripts to her office, and I remember her door always being open. She was so encouraging to writers and attended several Grey’s milestone events. It was a heartbreaking loss for this family.”

Grey's Anatomy is just one of the many hit series that Leifer was a part of in her executive role. She also played a role in the success of Grey's Anatomy's first spinoff, Private Practice, as well as other hit ABC original series such as Lost and Ugly Betty.

On behalf of every at One Chicago Center, our thoughts go out to Leifer's friends, family, and loved ones.