Grey's Anatomy's Alexis Floyd on Simone Hitting 'Rock Bottom' and Why She and Lucas Shouldn't Reunite Yet (Exclusive)

Simone Griffin (Alexis Floyd) faced difficulties at home and at work in the last episode Grey’s Anatomy.

The May 9 episode opened with her disoriented grandmother Joyce Ward (Marla Gibbs) mistaking her for her deceased mother, who died during childbirth at Gray Sloan Memorial. When Simone arrived at the hospital, she was treating a black woman named Lauren, who they realized was in labor at 39 weeks.

However, her birth did not go according to plan. Lauren’s nose was bleeding, her blood pressure was skyrocketing and she suddenly had a seizure. Doctors then rushed to perform an emergency C-section to save both mother and baby, but she started bleeding after the baby was taken out. She then coded on the table and Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) began the revival.

From left: Alexis Floyd and Marla Gibbs on “Grey’s Anatomy.” Liliane Lathan/ABC Shonda Rhimes says her daughter has started watching Grey’s Anatomy: ‘To reach the women her mother created’

As they tried to save Lauren’s life, Simone saw a flash of her own mother lying on the table, causing her to step back from the operation. Simone later revealed to Bailey the reason for her reaction in the operating room, saying that her mother “died at Gray Sloan giving birth to me.”

“I don’t know all the details, but I know someone missed something. I always wondered who these doctors were,” she added. “Now I know it’s me.”

“Look at me. Look at me. You did everything you were taught today. Everything we were taught. This is why we have to be here, why patients like Lauren need surgeons like us to take care of them,” Bailey responded, saying on the need for black people to be a medical profession. “Our job is to make sure no one falls through the cracks, to make sure no one overlooks their pain.”

Read on to hear Alexis Floyd’s take on Simone hitting “rock bottom,” her ongoing grieving process, and where she stands with Lucas Adams (Niko Terho) in her conversation with PEOPLE.

Inside PEOPLE’s Special Grey’s Anatomy A release celebrating 20 seasons of the hit medical drama series

Alexis Floyd on “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Disney/Anne Marie Fox

PEOPLE: How do you think the mental impact of Simone’s mother’s death — and her experience in the operating room — will continue to affect her personally as well as professionally?

ALEXIS FLOYD: I think there’s an awakening happening at that point where she realizes that she’s not going to be able to practice medicine if she keeps running away from facing some of the grief that she still has to process. I think Simone is someone who moves around the world with a sense of professionalism and wants to be on task all the time. But something he often hides from others or leaves out of the picture is that his reason for practicing medicine is also very emotional, personal, and I would even say traumatic.

What I hope to see progress from Simone is that she is a young professional woman who is also intentionally making space and time to deal with this emotional, personal issue, not least because it affects her experience at work. I mean, it’s an extremely personal moment on the operating table.

But above all, I think it will strengthen her as a doctor. I think it will make her a more empathetic doctor. I think it will make her a braver doctor who makes brave decisions for her patients. I think it will make her an activist in her workplace because she will no longer try to hide the emotional complexity of what it means to be not only a black doctor caring for black patients in an industry, in a health care system that overly neglects that class.

From left: Alexis Floyd, Midori Francis and Harry Shum Jr. on “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Disney/Anne Marie Fox

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Why do you think it’s important to shed light on these pregnancy-related complications for black women?

Well, first and foremost, for black women themselves, I think it’s important to be armed with as much education as possible when we enter this stage of life so that we can make informed and educated decisions. Something I often wonder about is whether Simone’s mother would have sought midwifery care or whether it was a more accessible opportunity for her, just in terms of knowing it existed, but also financially. It is a different commitment, a different practice and not available to all families.

Actually in my research for this episode I also came across an organization called BirthFUND that I would really like to highlight. It was founded by Elaine Welteroth, and one of the key founders was Serena Williams. Her birth story was very close to tragic. I mean, she almost lost her life. And we are talking about one of the greatest athletes in the world. Her pain was neglected, her doctors downplayed her symptoms, and she nearly lost her life.

That just says a lot about the problem, its scale and magnitude, and that it’s really systemic. If that’s happening to Serena Williams, if it’s happening at that level, then we’re talking about a systemic problem.

Alexis Floyd on “Grey’s Anatomy.”

ABC/Anne Marie Fox

Now that Bailey knows about Simone’s mother’s death, how will that affect their working relationship and what she does at the hospital?

It’s kind of a beautiful and tricky nuance at the same time, because I think you’ll see even throughout the rest of this season and certainly next season, that Bailey and Simone have a different sense of trust between them, which is, again, one of the wonderful kinds of blossoming that happens. happens when two professionals can, safely, share some of their personal stories about why they do what they do and why it’s important to them.

Bailey is Bailey, so he will always maintain the sense of professionalism and authority that is necessary for everyone to do their jobs well and safely. But I think you will see that the bond between them is stronger. Even non-verbally, I think you’ll just notice the connection between them. There are a few moments, especially towards the finale, where you really see it in action.

But it’s a tricky shade of ‘I care about you in a specific way, I see you as a human being’, but we’re also in this business environment. Especially in the hospital there is a kind of militancy in the structure of the place, which again is for security reasons first and foremost. But I’m excited to think that this moment, this twist, affects both of them in a way that reminds them that doctors are people too, and that they are people who need care.

Alexis Floyd on “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Disney/Anne Marie Fox

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Simone has so much on her plate right now with the hospital and managing her grandmother’s condition. How will she continue to find a balance between her grandmother, medicine and perhaps some semblance of a personal life?

I think the first step is just awareness, and that’s something she hasn’t necessarily had to this extent yet. And sometimes it just takes rock bottom to get to a place where you’re ready to finally make a change. They say that when you hit rock bottom, the only place you can go is up. So I think maybe she hit a low that she didn’t expect, but hopefully it’s the breakdown that leads to the breakout.

Switching gears, what can you tell me about the future of Simone and Lucas after their split earlier this season?

In my heart, their future, I think they belong together in some capacity. I don’t really know the details of it, but I think the relationship they have is pretty unique. I think the things they have to teach each other are unique and specific to the two of them. So I’m excited for them to figure out how it works. I guess they’re not done facing obstacles to their unification, but I believe on some level they have a lot to give each other and learn from each other. Therefore, my hopes for them are high.

From left: Ellen Pompeo, Alexis Floyd and Nico Terho on “Grey’s Anatomy.” Liliane Lathan/ABC The best behind-the-scenes photos Grey’s Anatomy Honor

Do you think they should be together now or later?

I think they still have a few things to learn before they are ready. It’s a classic thing that you have to love yourself before you can love anyone else, and you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of anyone else. I don’t think it’s necessarily their fault, but where they are in life, and again, kind of a fleeting moment to become the doctors they want to be, that’s a priority for both of them.

I think it’s hard at this point to find that balance that we talked about earlier that allows them to necessarily be what they want for each other. But I know they’re both surprised at how suddenly it became a priority in their lives, finding their way to each other. Well, I know it will arrive.

What was it like working with Marla Gibbs?

One of the most magical things about Marla Gibbs, I think everything about Marla Gibbs is magical, but she truly rejects the idea of ​​age in general. I think this is a woman who wakes up every day, checks her body and soul and does what she wants. And she also remains to learn. Every time she comes on set, she teaches me something about the diet she’s integrating into her life or the exercise routine that’s been giving her a surprising amount of energy lately. She recently became a vegan and completely changed her diet. And he is constantly learning. He constantly absorbs new information and always finds a way to laugh.

It is such a testament to her legacy that it is so rich and only continues to grow. I think she just doesn’t let the stigmas of the industry tell her anything about who she is, what kind of artist she is, and what she’s capable of, and that makes her capable of anything. Besides the gift of working with her as a legend in the industry, the kind of person, spirit and powerful being that she was has been a very significant gift in my life.

This interview has been shortened for length and clarity.

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Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9pm ET on ABC.

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