The Most Controversial Grey's Anatomy Couples

Grey’s Anatomy is one of Shonda Rhimes’ most beloved creations. The show’s been around for around two decades. It’s a medical drama where the focus bounces between surgery and the surgeons’ personal lives.

Across its twenty seasons, Grey’s spotlights love and loss as much as surgery and medical breakthroughs. As such, several notable relationships in the show stole fans’ hearts. Then again, there are also plenty of controversial couples that raise eyebrows.

10 Mark Sloan and Lexie Grey Had an Age Gap

Mark Sloan became a main character in Grey’s Anatomy Season 3, introduced as Derek’s former best friend, and Lexie Grey came along in Season 5, introduced as Meredith’s younger half-sister. The two hit it off soon after they met, but their relationship wasn’t smooth sailing.

The most controversial aspect of Slexie’s union is often their large age gap. For a while after their meeting, Mark views Lexie as a “forbidden fruit” and calls her Little Grey. He’s somewhat ashamed of his relationship with her since she was a “fetus” compared to him. There’s also the inappropriate power dynamic as she was an intern, and he was an attending surgeon, though that’s a common theme across Grey’s Anatomy. Their sixteen-year age gap understandably raised eyebrows and introduced some problems for the couple later, as Mark entered fatherhood and Lexie wasn’t ready to take that leap.

9 Izzie Stevens and Denny Duquette Crossed the Line

Izzie Stevens was part of the first intern class featured in Grey’s Anatomy. In Season 2, her resident Miranda Bailey and attending Preston Burke get assigned to a patient with viral cardiomyopathy named Denny Duquette, and Izzie gets assigned as the intern on the case. Unfortunately for her superiors, Izzie ignored every boundary established between patients and doctors and fell in love with Denny.

Their relationship didn’t cross the confines of Grey’s Anatomy Season 2, but they stirred up their fair share of controversy in the short period. It’s hard for even jaded Grey’s fans to discredit the couple since they were sweet, and Denny was a fantastic character. However, it’s also difficult to get past Izzie’s role as Denny’s surgeon, as she manipulated him into making medical decisions to benefit herself. Plus, of course, there was a storyline that involved an adulterous affair between the two after his death, though it’s unclear whether it was Denny’s ghost or a hallucination.

8 Amelia Shepherd and Owen Hunt Trauma Bonded

Amelia Shepherd took over as the head of Neuro, following in the footsteps of her brother, Derek. She and Owen Hunt bonded over PTSD and their struggles with trauma. Unfortunately, a relationship built on a trauma bond usually doesn’t last, but Amelia and Owen tried–and failed–to be together.

The couple got successfully married despite her initial wedding day blues. They also notably started a family by fostering a baby boy named Leo. Amelia also takes in Leo’s teenage mother, Betty, and helps her get sober. Unfortunately, their relationship didn’t last after Betty left, and they split shortly before Leo’s adoption. Even though they had good moments, their relationship’s foundation started to crumble immediately. Grey’s Anatomy decided to justify their dysfunctional relationship by revealing a massive brain tumor causing Amelia’s long-term instability. Even after Amelia’s tumor removal, she and Owen had no chance of lasting.

7 George O’Malley and Callie Torres Ended in Disaster

Callie Torres entered Grey’s Anatomy in Season 2 introduced as an orthopedic goddess. During her first episode on the show, she helps fix George O’Malley’s dislocated shoulder. They hit it off almost immediately and ended up getting married.

The biggest problem with their relationship was a severe lack of communication. For starters, Callie constantly fights with George about his best friends and roommates, and George treats Callie like she’s disposable. Shortly after George’s dad dies, he and Callie elope in Vegas. Their marriage also featured plenty of communication issues, but the worst part is George doesn’t successfully hide his doubts about their relationship. When he got sick from exposure to a toxin, he believed it was a sign that his marriage was toxic, and he actually told his wife that. They were pretty toxic, as Callie had insecurity issues, and George wasn’t in love with her. Their marriage ended when George cheated on her with Izzie Stevens and publicly humiliated her over it.

6 Alex Karev and Ava / Rebecca Pope Featured a Problematic Storyline

Grey’s Anatomy’s third season features a mass-casualty event involving a ferry crash. While on the scene, intern Alex Karev rescues a pregnant woman with severe crush-related injuries. Jane Doe bonds with Alex immensely, and he helps her heal by assigning the name Ava to help her cope with her amnesia and physical injuries. Alex remains relatively professional with Ava until she gets her memories back, learns her name is Rebecca Pope, and leaves with her husband to raise their child.

Rebecca doesn’t stay away from Seattle Grace and Alex, though, as she shows up out of the blue in Season 4 and hooks up with Alex. She pops up once more and reveals she’s pregnant by Alex. He’s excited by the idea and does everything to care for Rebecca and the fetus. Unfortunately, there isn’t a fetus, as Rebecca’s pregnancy is a hysterical one caused by an acute stress disorder and underlying borderline personality disorder. Alex showed maturity and dedication to the relationship, but the storyline was bizarre. Rebecca’s character was also poorly written, especially given the added need to properly portray borderline personality disorder.

5 Richard Webber and Catherine Fox Started on Shaky Ground

Richard Webber is one of the few Grey’s Anatomy characters who appeared in the first episode and has stuck around for all 20 seasons. At the beginning of the series, Richard is happily married to his college sweetheart, Adele, but it soon comes out that they aren’t as happy as things seem. While Richard remains dedicated to his wife, an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in Season 7 complicates matters. When Adele forgets who Richard is during her stay at a care facility, Richard decides it’s best to stay away, and during this time away, he reconnects with Catherine Avery (née Fox).

Richard and Catherine’s relationship began as an affair, though things don’t get serious until after Adele’s death in Season 9. Even though they get engaged in Season 11, their relationship hits several bumps before their wedding in the Season 11 finale. In the years they’ve been married, they’ve separated and fought several times. Catherine is manipulative with a superiority complex, and Richard is equally stubborn. The only end to their problems in sight is tragedy, as Catherine still battles Chondrosarcoma, which is a rare and often fatal form of bone cancer.

4 George O’Malley and Izzie Stevens Had no Chemistry

George O’Malley and Izzie Stevens were the “G” and “I” in the original Grey’s Anatomy MAGIC group. The two were absolute best friends, and George supported her through the loss of Denny. They had some problems in their friendship, but nothing compared to George and Izzie having an affair.

As mentioned above, George was, in fact, married during the affair. They were also both drunk during their initial hookup, though only Izzie had the memory of the night the next day. Their relationship could’ve been a successful friends-to-lovers adventure, but they had no romantic or sexual chemistry. Most Grey’s fans can agree that George and Izzie were an obvious disaster, but they remained best friends until George’s sudden death in Season 5.

3 Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd Were Often Toxic

Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd are the best-known and most beloved couple in Grey’s Anatomy. They met in the first episode after a one-night stand. Like Slexie, MerDer also had an age gap and an intern/attending power dynamic. But unlike Mark and Lexie, Meredith and Derek get married and have kids. As such, they have different issues.

Quite frankly, MerDer is toxic for much of their relationship in Grey’s. Firstly, their union started with adultery and a lie as Derek was married–albeit separated–when they hooked up. There are also several instances where Derek is a toxic character, like when he insults Meredith for moving on from him, keeps leading Meredith on, throws her engagement ring into the woods, and eventually leaves her and their kids to work in DC. With that said, MerDer was undeniably iconic, and Derek mostly lived up to the McDreamy moniker.

2 Jackson Avery and Maggie Pierce Had a Strange Bond

Jackson Avery entered Grey’s Anatomy when Seattle Grace merged with Mercy West in Season 6. He was a seasoned surgeon as the head of plastic surgery when Maggie Pierce entered the picture as the new head of cardiothoracic surgery in Season 11. They started dating in Season 14 and lasted through Season 15. But they didn’t last very long.

Many fans believe that Jackson and Maggie simply weren’t a good match, as their personalities didn’t blend well. But the most prominent issue in their courtship was their status as step-siblings. While they were both adamant that they weren’t family, their parents were married and invited them to family dinners often. Jackson’s mom, Catherine, even referred to Maggie as his sister. They didn’t grow up together and don’t view themselves as siblings, but it’s still a problematic relationship that was bound to fail.

1 Cristina Yang Was Owen Hunt’s Biggest Relationship Failure

Cristina Yang first appeared at the beginning of Grey’s Anatomy as the “C” in the MAGIC intern group. She’s also one-half of the “Twisted Sisters” with Meredith. Her first significant relationship was with the head of cardio, Isaiah Washington’s Preston Burke, whom she nearly married before getting left at the altar. With Burke, she was sacrificing large parts of her personality because she loved him. So, in Season 5, when she met Major Owen Hunt, fans were hopeful that she could finally be happy in a relationship.

Unfortunately, when he started work at Seattle Grace, he was battling PTSD, and their relationship had problems from the beginning. Their connection was strong enough for them to get through it, even after one of his night terrors ended with him choking her. They have their struggles, but they eventually get married in Season 7. Their biggest issue came when Cristina got pregnant, as she opted to terminate. While Cristina was always adamant about never wanting kids, and she previously suffered from an ectopic pregnancy, Owen believed he could change her mind. The storyline was perhaps the most toxic of the show, and it’s unfortunately a common theme for Owen, as he often attempts to manipulate his partners into motherhood, even when they’re strongly against the idea. Hopefully, future Grey’s Anatomy couples don’t get worse than Cristina and Owen.