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'Scandal' confirmed to end after Season 7

The series will conclude a sixth season this week.

By Annie Martin
Kerry Washington attends the Film Independent Spirit Awards on February 25. The actress plays Olivia Pope on "Scandal." File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
1 of 3 | Kerry Washington attends the Film Independent Spirit Awards on February 25. The actress plays Olivia Pope on "Scandal." File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

May 16 (UPI) -- Popular political drama Scandal will officially end after Season 7.

ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey explained Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes' decision to end the Kerry Washington series in a conference call with reporters Tuesday.

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"She has had, for a while, a sense of how she wanted the story to end," Dungey said, according to Entertainment Weekly. "She said, 'Look, I really feel like Season 7 is where I want to wrap up this story, because I always prefer to end a show where you're feeling on top as opposed to letting things fizzle out.'"

The Hollywood Reporter reported Scandal has yet to set an episode count for Season 7, although the season is expected to again feature "a short number of episodes." Season 6, which consists of 16 episodes, will come to a close Thursday.

"I do think that audiences, especially fans and Gladiators, who are as loyal to Scandal as they've been, are going to want the story to end in the way that Shonda intended to," Dungey said. "That was a decision she felt really good about and we support wholeheartedly."

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TVLine had reported last week that Rhimes "made the call" to end Scandal after Season 7. The producer told Entertainment Weekly at the show's 100th episode party in April that she had an end point in sight.

"I know how long the show is going to run, and I know how it's going to end, and I'm excited about it," she said.

Scandal stars Washington as crisis manager Olivia Pope, with Scott Foley as NSA Director Jake Ballard, Tony Goldwyn as President Fitzgerald Grant and Bellamy Young as Senator Melody Grant.

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