The 300th episode of Grey’s Anatomy — which aired on Thursday, Nov. 9 — paid homage to lots of former Grey Sloan Memorial surgeons, but one character in particular, Izzie Stevens, was especially missed by loyal fans. So, what exactly happened to Izzie on the show? Did she die? Did she simply leave? Scroll down for everything you need to know about Izzie!

Did Izzie Stevens die?

No, she did not! Lots of characters are sadly killed off Grey’s Anatomy (thanks for that, Shonda!) but Izzie did not die. Many viewers may think that Izzie died in the series because one of her main storylines was her brain cancer battle.

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Izzie and Alex at their wedding on Grey’s. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

What happened to Izzie Stevens?

During Season 5 back in 2008, Izzie began suffering from hallucinations and later realized she had melanoma that had spread to her brain. She eventually began treatment and underwent surgeries to beat the cancer. Izzie then married Alex Karev, became cancer-free, but then shocked fans by leaving Seattle anyway after she was fired from the hospital. She and Alex later divorced and Izzie never returned to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

Where is Izzie Stevens today?

We’re not totally sure! After Izzie left Seattle, she was never heard from again. But in the Season 14 episode “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story,” Alex told his girlfriend, Jo Wilson, what he imagines Izzie is up to today. “I don’t need to call her, I know how she is. She’s married with three kids and she lives somewhere, I think, kind of woodsy. She’s a surgeon and she does work every day and she refuses to hire help so her house is always a mess and has Christmas decorations all over it because she won’t let her husband take them down. [Her house] smells like muffins and she’s smiling. When I picture her, she’s always smiling. I don’t need to call her because I want her to stay that way. I picture her as happy as I am with you. [I imagined a whole life for her] because it’s way better than wondering,” he said. So cute!

Who played Izzie Stevens?

Izzie was portrayed by Katherine Heigl from Season 1 in 2005 to Season 6 in 2010. Though there were issues between Katherine and showrunner Shonda Rhimes, the actress reportedly left Grey’s Anatomy to instead focus on her movie career. “On some level, it stung and on some level I was not surprised,” Shonda once said of Katherine’s departure. “It’s sad but it’s what I wanted,” Katherine has said of her decision to leave the series.

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