'Grey's Anatomy' season 13 air date, plot spoilers: Season 13 tackles domestic violence; Sara Ramirez talks 'Grey's' exit

Following Jo's (Camilla Luddington) revelation about her past with an abusive husband, the 13th season of "Grey's Anatomy" will reportedly be taking on the topic of domestic violence head-on.

In the season 12 finale, Jo's fear of confessing about her past forced her to turn down Alex's (Justin Chambers) marriage proposal. What she was too scared to reveal to Alex was that she was already married and that she had to assume a different identity after running away from her husband. After the miscommunication that ended with DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) beaten to a pulp and Alex facing the possibility of getting thrown in jail next season, Jo's backstory, which has long been kept secret, will finally unravel.

"Grey's Anatomy" creator Shonda Rhimes recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly and said that she didn't intend to tell a story of domestic violence for the sake of taking on the issue. Rather, she felt that it was time to tell the story of Jo's past, especially as it affects Alex, who had a similarly chaotic history that he also had to rise from. Both Jo and Alex are defined by who they used to be and who they are trying to become, Rhimes explained.

Comparing Jo's experience with domestic abuse and Meredith's (Ellen Pompeo) violent attack in the previous season, Rhimes said that Mer was able to move past the incident. On the other hand, Jo, whose husband is still out there, still has to live with the nightmare. Rhimes also teased that "Grey's Anatomy" season 13 may find Jo's husband shaking things up even further.

"This idea that women are often treated in this way is disturbing to me, but it's also very interesting to me to get to tell the story of Jo from this perspective of somebody who has walked away from a past that happened so long ago, and might have to face it again," she told EW.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Parade.com, "Grey's" alum Sara Ramirez, who played Dr. Callie Torres for 10 seasons until she left the long-running medical drama at the end of season 12, recently spoke about the decision to leave the ABC series.

"It was a very conscious decision, a choice that I made, and it was really supported by my colleagues and my boss, and so for me, it's the best choice I ever made," she said, adding that it was an "empowering" experience and that she wishes everyone on "Grey's" well.

"Grey's Anatomy" season 13 premieres Thursday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.