This may mean "Grey's Anatomy" Season 14 won't give Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) a new love interest after all. That's OK by us. She could use a break from the romance drama.

You may recall TVLine's early November spoiler that "Grey's" was looking for a "fortysomething actor to play a major new love interest opposite Ellen Pompeo. Character details are sketchy, but I'm told the guy in question will be a doctor from a foreign country who is sexy, fiery, impulsive and passionate about medicine. He also shares something major in common with Mer in that one of his parents (in his case his pa) was/is a renowned surgeon."

But that was then. Since that spoiler, TVLine's sources updated about a change. Here's the latest scoop from Ask Ausiello:

Question: Any update on the new love interest for Meredith on Grey's Anatomy? —Juliette

Ausiello: Twist — he is now a she! Although producers were initially looking for a fortysomething actor to play the role of the new foreign doctor, I hear the character's gender has since been changed to female. Which probably means Mer's dance card is once again empty. Unless... you thinking what I'm thinking?

That could be fun, and very "Grey's," but unlikely for Meredith. Hopefully the decision is just to give Meredith more to do without attachment to a love interest, male or female. She just lost Riggs, right after losing Derek. Let Mer be Mer: A renowned surgeon, devoted friend, occasional mom. (You could show her with her kids more often, that'd be fine.) Everyone else at Grey Sloan is hooking up, they can carry the romance angle without her.

Season 14 will return January 18, picking up right from that last midseason finale scene.

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