All of Amelia Shepherd’s Love Interests on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ & ‘Private Practice,’ Ranked
We thought we had terrible love lives, then we took a deep dive into Amelia Shepherd’s (Caterina Scorsone) romantic history. Incredible neurosurgeon, catastrophic taste in partners. To put it lightly, Amelia’s dating record on Grey’s Anatomy is almost one long case study in “girl, no.”
Our beloved Shepherd sibling (RIP Derek, gone but never forgotten), sass queen, and emotional chaos magnet has been through it all: marriages, messy breakups, proposals, relapses, and even a cross-country escape when things got too real. From wild flings and trauma bonds to genuine love stories that almost worked, Amelia’s romantic journey is equal parts heartbreaking, inspiring, and “wow, maybe I am doing okay.”
So grab a cup of coffee, because we’re ranking every one of Amelia Shepherd’s love interests on Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice, from the total disasters to the ones who might just have been her person.
Grey’s Anatomy, Season 22 Midseason Premiere, January 8, 10/9c, ABC
8. Ryan Kerrigan
We’re heading back to Private Practice for this one, but it counts — they exist in the same universe, and Ryan (Wes Brown) is too central to Amelia’s story to skip.
Amelia met Ryan during one of the darkest periods of her life, in the middle of a relapse. They crossed paths at a nightclub, bonded over their addictions, and fell into a whirlwind romance that burned fast and bright. What followed was a 12-day bender in a hotel room. In a haze, Ryan proposed, Amelia accepted, and she gave him her late father’s watch as an engagement gift.
When her friends staged an intervention, the couple bolted and became determined to “finish what they had left” before getting clean. But after one last high, Amelia passed out and woke to find Ryan dead beside her, having overdosed and choked in his sleep. Before his body was taken away, she quietly retrieved her father’s watch from his wrist.
That loss broke her open and ultimately saved her. Amelia checked herself into rehab and got sober, only to discover she was pregnant with Ryan’s child. But tragedy struck again when she learned her baby boy was anencephalic, born without a brain. In an act of unimaginable strength, Amelia carried him to term so she could donate his organs and save other babies across the country.
Ryan will always be the love that changed everything for her. Maybe he could’ve been her great love, but it’s forever tangled in grief, addiction, and the ghosts of what might’ve been.
7. Tom Koracick
Short but sweet, Amelia’s time with Koracick (Greg Germann) was about as successful as most of his Grey’s escapades —which is to say, not very. Once Amelia recovered from her tumor removal, the two hooked up, and he immediately admitted she was a better surgeon than he was. Honestly, what more could you want from a fling?
Koracick might’ve wanted more, but Amelia? She was not down to clown.
6. Owen Hunt
Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) somehow manages to sneak his way into every Grey’s Anatomy list imaginable — most satisfying breakups and now, Amelia Shepherd’s love interests. The man is basically a walking plot twist.
Amelia and Owen bonded soon after she arrived in Seattle, finding a connection in their shared trauma (classic Grey’s move). Before anyone could say “bad idea,” they were making out in an on-call room after saving a little girl’s mom. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), understandably, was not thrilled — given Owen’s messy romantic history with Cristina (Sandra Oh) — but the ball was already rolling.
After a few stop-start moments, the two officially got together, and in a bold reversal of roles, Amelia proposed to Owen. She admitted marriage might be too soon, but said she was sure she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Reader, they got hitched, and promptly discovered they had completely different views on having kids. (Pro tip: Maybe have that chat before the wedding.)
What followed was a series of breakups, makeups, and, of course, a brain tumor intermezzo (because Grey’s Anatomy can’t resist a mid-relationship medical crisis). Eventually, they divorced, but this is Omelia, so it was never really over.
Owen later fostered baby Leo, and Amelia stepped in to coparent. Then Leo’s teenage birth mom, Betty, joined the mix, forming a surprisingly sweet little family unit. But naturally, Grey’s couldn’t let that last: Enter Teddy (Kim Raver), pregnant with Owen’s baby. Owen chose Amelia (for about five minutes), and once the kids were gone, so was the relationship.
5. Mark Sloan
Naughty, Amelia! McSteamy (Eric Dane) was one of her brother’s besties and therefore supremely off-limits, but when has that ever stopped either of them? Despite growing up around Mark, the two shared a brief rendezvous during her first visit to Seattle after the mass shooting. It never evolved into anything serious, but they stayed close, and his death hit her hard.
To be honest, sleeping with Sloan was practically a rite of passage at Grey Sloan Memorial, so good on her for getting her turn.
4. Atticus "Link" Lincoln
Let’s give Link (Chris Carmack) some credit. He was a step up from Owen, which made total sense, since he was literally Owen’s successor. Evolution, baby.
The first time Link asked Amelia out, she turned him down. But fate (and Shonda Rhimes) had other plans. At a medical conference, one thing led to another, and the two ended up in Amelia’s hotel room together. When Amelia later ran into her sister, she panicked and pretended Link was Owen to dodge the whole “yeah, I got divorced” conversation. The lie didn’t last, but before the truth came out, we got some seriously cute moments of Link standing up for her.
They dated briefly before Link called it quits, realizing Amelia wasn’t ready for the level of commitment he wanted. Then — plot twist — Amelia found out she was pregnant but wasn’t sure if the baby was Link’s or Owen’s. Ruh roh. In a true king move, Link promised to love the baby either way… only to find out he didn’t need to because Scout was his.
Things got trickier post-baby (and during the pandemic), when domestic bliss turned into domestic burnout. Link proposed, Amelia turned him down, and it became clear they wanted very different things: He craved the picture-perfect family life, she wanted something freer. They shared one last hookup for old times’ sake, but their story ended for good when Link caught her kissing Kai (E.R. Fightmaster).
3. Monica Beltran
The newest addition to Amelia’s list of love interests — and one that never quite had the chance to take off. The two started with peak enemies-to-lovers energy when Amelia stole Monica’s (Natalie Morales) parking spot (classic Shepherd chaos). But soon enough, mutual respect and a series of caffeine-fueled catch-ups turned into something a little more.
Amelia finally worked up the nerve to ask Monica out, only to be gently turned down — Monica was still healing from her divorce back in Texas. Things got extra awkward when Monica hooked up with Winston (also freshly divorced), and Amelia caught him returning a piece of red lingerie. Thankfully, Monica cleared things up, and the two stayed close friends.
Then came the gut punch: Monica’s death in the OR explosion. Sob. It hit Amelia hard — like, “add another layer to her emotional trauma file” hard. Something tells us she won’t be opening herself up again anytime soon.
2. James Peterson
Another Private Practice mention, but once again, necessary to her arc on Grey’s Anatomy! Amelia worked with James (Matt Long) at St. Ambrose, and he repeatedly asked her out, but she kept turning him down. This was post-Ryan-and-pregnancy life events, so she wasn’t really looking to date.
Long story short, she finally relented and then felt frustrated when he wouldn’t kiss her on their dates. He turned up at her house for one hell of a romantic first kiss, and they were in it.
But after James proposed, Amelia ran off to Seattle to find out if she could live a life like her brother, Derek (Patrick Dempsey), and his wife, Meredith. It turns out that she wanted part of their life…the Seattle part. She moved to Grey Sloan and left James behind.
We didn’t get to see a lot of their love story, but what we did see was a healthy relationship built on honesty and mutual respect. She could’ve done a lot worse… and has.
1. Kai Bartley
Ding, ding, ding — we have a winner! Find us a better Amelia love interest than Kai (E.R. Fightmaster), we dare you.
Fresh off her breakup with Link, Amelia met Kai in Minnesota while working with Dr. Hamilton (Peter Gallagher). What started as workplace banter quickly turned into full-on flirtation: cheeky glances, smirks, and that slow-burn tension we live for. Amelia confided in Kai about Link and her son, making it clear she was TOTALLY SINGLE, and Kai casually dropped that they were single, too.
When Kai and David came to Seattle for David’s surgery, Amelia helped calm Kai down with some guided meditation (very on brand), and the two finally kissed outside the hospital. Still, Amelia hesitated as her life was a bit of a mess.
That all changed when Kai invited her to their band’s performance. Post-show? Amelia went home with Kai, and… let’s just say, it was Grey’s Anatomy history from there. The next morning, Kai told her she didn’t have to leave, but Amelia insisted that she was a mom who missed her son.
Things took a turn when Kai met Scout and admitted they didn’t want kids. Oof. They end things, not because Scout isn’t adorable (he is), but because their life paths just didn’t align. Still, Kai eventually came back, the two reconciled, and for a moment, we all dared to dream.
Then came London, aka Kai’s once-in-a-lifetime career offer. The pair parted ways amicably, leaving us heartbroken but hopeful. Honestly? If Grey’s Anatomy ever delivered an endgame that actually felt earned, it would be this one.
