#Japril forever! Dr. Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) and Dr. April Kepner (Sarah Drew) were one of the most beloved couples on Grey’s Anatomy, and it’s time for a walk down memory lane as Jackson exits the show.
Jackson and April joined the ABC drama in 2009 when Seattle Grace Hospital merged with Mercy West. April was a Christian farm girl from the Midwest while Jackson was secretly the super-rich grandson of Harper Avery, whose foundation gave the most prestigious awards in medicine. Despite their opposite backgrounds, April and Jackson developed a great friendship.
The night before their boards exams season 8, April lost her virginity to Jackson, which gave their romance a bumpy start. The religious doctor had previously been saving herself for marriage.
After a pregnancy scare, the two broke up and started seeing other people. April even nearly married her paramedic boyfriend, Matthew (Justin Bruening), until Jackson stopped the wedding.
“I love you April. I always have. Even the things I don’t like, I love. I want you with me,” he said as April and Matthew were at the altar.
The two ran away from the wedding together and eloped that day. The spontaneous marriage seemed to turn sour when it becomes clear that Jackson is a dedicated atheist and April is still a devout Christian. April’s pregnancy brought them together, but the death of their son, Samuel, who only lived hours after his premature birth, tore them apart.
April took a job as a trauma surgeon in the army to cope with the loss, and when she returned, it was clear that their marriage was falling apart. They divorced, only to realize that April was pregnant. She gave birth to Harriet, and while their coparenting went well, they never reunited.
Once again, April got married on a whim, but this time it was to Matthew, the guy she left at the altar years earlier. She left the hospital to do nonprofit work with her new husband, which served as April’s big send-off as Drew was written out of Grey’s in 2018.
However, the Christian doctor came back for a short 2021 arc to help Jackson say goodbye to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Jackson realized that he wants to create real change in the healthcare system, making racial equity a priority, and that meant taking over his family’s foundation in Boston.
He went to April and asked her to move her family to Boston with him, and that was when April revealed that she didn’t have to run anything by Matthew because they split. She believed in Jackson’s vision for the Katherine Fox Foundation (f.k.a. the Harper Avery Foundation), and she agreed to move across the country with her ex-husband.
It sounds like Jackson and April’s Boston adventure could be a whole new Grey’s Anatomy spinoff, and Drew, 40, told reporters that she’s ready to sign on.
“Yes! I mean, you guys, how cool would that show be?” the April actress said in May 2021 following her return to the ABC series. “I gotta be honest. I’ve been on Twitter and Japril was, I think, trending worldwide all day. … How amazing and needed is a show about racial justice in the medical field and inequity and equality. How amazing would that be?”
A spinoff is not confirmed, so for now, Japril fans will have to settle for scrolling through the sweetest moments of Jackson and April’s story on Grey’s Anatomy:
When Jackson Defended April (8×21)
The night before their boards exams, April has too much to drink and barely dodges a bar brawl. Jackson came to her rescue and punches a man who offends April, which makes the trauma surgeon realize she has feelings for her coworker.
Credit: ABC via Getty Images
When April Lost Her Virginity (8×21)
April and Jackson finally step out of the friend zone after months of denying their chemistry. She passionately kissed hime while expressing her gratitude for sticking up for her — before one thing led to another!
Credit: ABC via Getty Images
When April Thought She Was Pregnant (9×7)
April’s pregnancy scare was a turning point in her and Jackson’s relationship. Although Jackson was ready to marry April and raise their child together, she was relieved upon realizing that she’s not expecting. Jackson was left hurt, feeling as though they might not be the best fit.
When Jackson Got Hurt in the Explosion (9×24)
Although April was engaged to Matthew at the time, she told Jackson she loved him after believing he might die due to injuries he sustained saving victims in a bus explosion.
“I want you, Jackson. I know I haven’t been fair to you. I’ve really hurt you,” April confessed to the plastic surgeon in his hospital room. “When that bus exploded, I thought you were gone.”
A confused Jackson replied, “You’re getting married,” to which April shot back, “Unless you can give me a reason not to.”
When Jackson Objected (10×12)
He wasn’t going to let her get away that easy! Jackson made April — and America — swoon when he interrupted her wedding to Matthew and professed his love for her in front of all their guests. April returned Jackson’s feelings and the duo ran off together mid-ceremony.
When They Got Married (10×13)
Surprise! Only hours after Jackson won April back at her own wedding, the couple cruised off to Lake Tahoe and eloped.
When Jackson Supported April After Samuel’s Death (11×12)
April and Jackson’s baby, Samuel Norbert Avery, was tragically diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta before he was born. Jackson supported April during her whole pregnancy and comforted her every step of the way. Samuel did not live long after April went into induced labor. The couple chose to baptize him and hold him until he passed away.
When April Fought for Their Marriage (12×02)
After the death of their son Samuel, April jetted off to the Middle East with Dr. Owen Hunt to serve in the army and clear her head, against Jackson’s wishes. She was then placed under quarantine upon her return after showing unusual symptoms, but her condition didn’t stop her from trying to reconcile with her estranged husband.
When They Finally Reunited (13×16)
Jackson and April traveled to Montana together to save a young girl’s vocal chords. April also supported Jackson when he confronted his estranged father during the trip. The on-again, off-again pair were overcome with emotion upon returning to their hotel room and they briefly reignited their romance, spending the night together.
When Jackson Punished April’s Intern (14×13)
Jackson grew concerned after April spends too many nights at Joe’s bar and is dubbed as “Dr. Party” by the new intern class. After Jackson catches wind of the nickname and finds out April has been sleeping with intern Levi, a.k.a, Glasses, he gives him a series of seemingly pointless tasks as a punishment.
When They Got Honest in the Blackout (17×14)
When Jackson arrived to tell April that he wanted to move to Boston, their daughter had a fever and the power went out, leading April and Jackson to a long discussion about what they want and need. They decided to move to Boston together.
The Elevator Reveal (18×20)
When Drew and Williams returned for the 400th episode in May 2022, it was revealed via a sweet kiss in the elevator that April and Jackson were indeed back together.
