It’s arguably Grey’s Anatomy’s most dramatic wedding scene — and there are a lot to choose from — but the moment when Jackson Avery declared his love for April Kepner in the middle of her wedding to Matthew solidified “Japril” as one of fans’ favorite couples. Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew recently had fun looking back at the classic moment and the audacity Jackson and April had. This prompted Williams to drop an F-bomb and proclaim April as “the real bad guy” of the situation.
In Season 10’s “Get Up, Stand Up,” April was set for her big day with Matthew Taylor, with Jackson attending the affair with Stephanie Edwards. But fresh in Jackson’s mind were the words of the late Mark Sloan, who had given him the “If you love someone, you tell them” speech before tragically dying from his plane crash injuries. He took that advice — at just about the most inappropriate time imaginable — mid-ceremony.
Looking back, Jesse Williams admitted Jackson’s actions weren’t great, but he stood by them, as he and Sarah Drew relived the moment in an interview with Insider. During the chat, Williams said the alternative would have been worse for all involved:
It's fucked up. It's not a nice thing to do to anybody, but it's better for them ultimately, because they're living in the truth. If I bottle it up and I live in regret and I'm looking at you, but I'm longing for somebody else, that's not beneficial to you. That's actually a worse torture. That's a thousand cuts.
It’s true that it would have been a disservice to everyone if Jackson had continued a relationship with Stephanie while he knew his real feelings were for April. But in the grand scheme of things, the actor said, what his character did to Stephanie was nothing compared to April actually running out of her wedding with another man. The star broke down precisely why Jackson shouldn’t be the one to shoulder all the blame:
Stephanie's pain and experience is real and legitimate, no matter what degree it's at. But we were dating. April was engaged to be married to this dude [Matthew]. They had made a commitment, and spent money, and got dressed and had their family. The real bad guy is —
Sarah Drew didn’t even make Jesse Williams say it. She knew the truth — that April leaving Matthew at the altar like that was far more humiliating than Jackson abandoning Stephanie, who he wasn’t super serious with anyway. Drew finished her colleague's thought for him:
Me. I'm the worst guy. I'm the worst guy in this situation.
That love triangle continued to be a roller coaster for all involved as, after Jackson and April got divorced, April did end up marrying Matthew in a spur-of-the-moment decision in Season 14. That relationship didn’t last either, and the last we saw of our beloved Japril, April and their daughter, Harriet, were moving to Boston to be close to Jackson in his new position with the Catherine Fox Foundation.
While the couple’s story was left open-ended, I’ve got to believe those two worked it out. Grey’s Anatomy, now in its 18th season, airs at 9 p.m. ET on Thursdays on ABC. Check out when your favorite shows’ fall finales are, as well as what’s set to premiere in 2022.
