This Is Why Shonda Rhimes Is Canceling Scandal

Earlier this week, ABC announced that Scandal's seventh season would be its last. That gives fans one more season of Gladiators, white hats, fixing, political intrigue, and Olivia Pope's unerring style. But all the news surrounding the decision came from ABC's president, Channing Dungey — until now.

The show's creator, Shonda Rhimes, addressed the fate of Scandal in her very first newsletter ahead of launching hew forthcoming website. According to People, Rhimes was glad that she wasn't present for the official announcement but added that she wanted to end the show as a challenge to herself. Since many of her shows seem to go on forever, she said, she wanted to end Scandal as a way to put the trials and tribulations of OPA to an end on her terms, not because of ratings, critics, or anyone else.

"It had begun to occur to us that — warning, warning: swagger alert — shows written by me don't seem to… end. Every show I’ve created has gone more than 100 episodes. People keep watching. The network is happy. And that's awesome," Rhimes wrote in an email to subscribers. "But what happens if we let all the shows go on and on without end? What if we just hang on so long that people don't say WHY are you ending, but WHEN? What if we don't let anyone say WHEN?"

Rhimes added that while it was her decision to end the hit show, it was a scary one. "It's scary to make a change," she wrote, noting that the show is like a second home to her and that the cast is like family. As the newsletter continued, Rhimes explained that just like all the show's fans, she's a Gladiator, too, and the show has created its own tribes, something she's proud of creating. Bringing people together, she says, is part of why she creates all her Shondaland shows. As Scandal comes to an end, we're sure that Rhimes will be there alongside all of her loyal acolytes, a glass of red wine in hand, to bid adieu to Olivia Pope and Co.