Grey's Anatomy: Jackson & April's Relationship Timeline Explained

April and Jackson are one of the biggest pairings on Grey’s Anatomy. Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) and April Kepner (Sarah Drew) had a relationship timeline that was just as tumultuous and heartbreaking as Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd’s. Introduced in season 6, Jackson and April’s relationship had a fantastic build-up after years of friendship.

Although they weren’t always at the forefront of the drama and episodes, the couple did create many show-stopping moments, ranging from Jackson’s wedding objection and their impulsive elopement.

Despite Jackson and April’s deep love, the couple initially struggled to find common ground because of their different faiths and beliefs. Jackson and April also struggled with timing, acknowledging one another’s feelings just as they were dating someone else. However, after many seasons and several periods of self-reflection, April and Jackson realized that they were meant to be together.

Jackson & April Arrive At Seattle Grace Mercy West And Become Close Friends

Season 6, Episode 5 – Episode 24

After it was announced that Seattle Grace would be merging with Mercy West, April and Jackson made their debuts in season 6, episode 5, “Invasion” as two new residents. Although they began simply as work colleagues, Jackson and April began interacting more as they struggled to fit in with the Seattle Grace residents (episode 6 “I Saw What I Saw”).

While season 6 didn’t have many standout episodes for ‘Japril’, the writers did do a great job in setting up the foundation of their relationship, providing glimpses of their playful dynamics when Jackson often teased April about her crush on Derek (episode 20, “Hook, Line and Sinner”).

However, their relationship changed forever when the hospital was involved in a mass shooting, resulting in their friends, Charles and Reed’s, sad deaths (episode 23/24, “Sanctuary/Death And All His Friends”).

Jackson & April Become Roommates And Their Friendship Continues To Grow

Season 7, Episode 1 – Season 8, Episode 20

While Jackson and April were introduced in Grey’s Anatomy season 6, they weren’t on the road to becoming a couple straight away. It wasn’t until they became roommates that the romantic undertones started to emerge. By the season 7 premiere, Jackson and April had grown closer and were shown to be living at Meredith’s house (“With You I’m Born Again”).

They also became close confidants, each helping one another with their placement interviews (season 7, episode 20, “The Girl with No Name”). Although they weren’t in the middle of the drama, the subplots exploring Jackson and April’s friendship were quite enjoyable as they provided plenty of sweet and funny moments, highlighting Drew and Williams’ amazing chemistry.

Jackson & April’s Relationship Takes A Romantic Turn, Leading To Them Starting A Casual Relationship (Which Quickly Backfires)

Season 8, Episode 21 – Season 9, Episode 7

It was in Grey’s Anatomy season 8 that the first concrete signs of Jackson and April’s feelings for one another started to show. Season 8, episode 21, “Moment of Truth”, marked the beginning of Jackson and April’s romance as the two slept together while taking their medical boards.

Although April initially panicked because this was her first time, she and Jackson soon began a casual relationship (season 9, episode 3, “Love The One You’re With”). Unfortunately, this didn’t last very long as the couple had a ‘pregnancy scare’ and Jackson realized that they envisioned different things for their future (episode 7, “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”).

Although there had since been complaints as to how the Grey’s Anatomy writers mishandled April’s virginity storyline, the prospect of Jackson and April becoming a couple was quite intriguing and helped make the series feel fresh and unique again.

Jackson & April Struggle To Repair Their Friendship & Continue Fighting Their Feelings For One Another

Season 9, Episode 8 – Season 10, Episode 11

The “will they won’t they” trope is a staple of many TV shows. After Jackson ended their relationship, Jackson and April struggled to become friends again, since it was clear they had feelings for one another (episode 8, “Love Turns You Down”). Later, they tried again after Jackson started a romance with Stephanie (episode 10 “Things We Said Today”).

At the same time, April became engaged to paramedic Matthew Taylor (episode 23’s “Readiness”), the writers did hint that their romance was far from over as April almost called off her wedding after Jackson’s near-death experience (season 10, episode 1, “Seal Our Fate”).

Jackson also seemed to be having second thoughts about their romance as he told Matthew he might not come to the wedding (episode 11, “XX”). This “will-they-won’t-they” format became a new captivating hook as viewers waited to see whether Jackson and April would end up changing their minds.

Jackson Interrupts April’s Wedding & They Get Married

Season 10, Episode 12 – Episode 13

While April and Jackson’s relationship arc had seemed somewhat predictable over prior seasons, Grey’s Anatomy season 10 flipped their narrative on its head with a shocking twist — though, as many fans were delighted to see, it wasn’t the tragic variety of surprise development that often happens in the show.

Season 10’s “Get Up, Stand Up” is one of Jackson and April’s best Grey’s Anatomy episodes as it saw the couple make a life-changing decision. Just as April was about to marry Matthew, Jackson confessed his love for her and asked for another chance. Viewers waited months to see the outcome of this unforgettable cliffhanger.

When the show returned in February, the writers didn’t disappoint. “Take It Back” (episode 13) revealed that April and Jackson left the church together and got married in secret. Considering that the episode also revealed Grey-Sloan Memorial had just implemented a non-fraternizing policy, the writers hinted that this wouldn’t remain a secret for long.

Jackson & April Adjust To Married Life And Discover They Are Expecting A Baby

Season 10, Episode 14 – Episode 21

Season 10 saw plenty of character growth for April and Jackson, and was one of their most eventful in the entirety of their time on Grey’s Anatomy. After Jackson and April announce to their friends that they got married in season 10, episode 14, “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”, the couple try to adjust to married life.

While the two were blissfully happy getting to know one another, the couple faced their first major obstacle in episode 16, “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place”, as they struggled to agree on how they would raise their children. Given that they did rush into the marriage, it wasn’t completely surprising that the two had this argument.

However, the Grey’s Anatomy writers had a different plan in mind as April revealed that she was pregnant with Samuel in episode 21’s “Change of Heart”. Since they were still not on the same page by the end of the episode, more angst and drama was to come.

Jackson & April Come To Terms With Being Parents, But Complications Soon Arise After Learning Their Baby Has A Fatal Condition

Season 10, Episode 22 – Season 11, Episode 11

Although Jackson and April eventually resolved their issues at the end of season 10, episode 22, “We Are Never Getting Back Together”, the couple’s happiness was short-lived as they discovered there were complications with the pregnancy.

In Grey’s Anatomy season 11, episode 11, “All I Could Do Was Cry”, Jackson and April learned that Samuel had Type II Osteogenesis Imperfecta (a condition that was causing his bones to break while in utero). Unfortunately, this condition was also fatal, and Samuel would likely pass away after a couple of hours if he were carried to term.

This revelation was devastating, since Jackson and April had spent the last couple of episodes being excited about becoming parents and were now having to make a difficult decision whether to induce labor or not.

It was also heartbreaking to see how conflicted Jackson and April were throughout the episode, too, as they struggled to deal with their grief and shock. After several long and emotional conversations, Jackson and April eventually decided to induce labor to stop Samuel from feeling any more pain and to say goodbye.

Jackson & April Struggle In The Aftermath Of Samuel’s Death – Especially After April Joins The Army

Season 11, Episode 12 – Episode 23

While Jackson and April’s relationship had started out on an uplifting note (at least by the standards of Grey’s Anatomy), the happiness of their surprise wedding didn’t set the tone for their life as a married couple. They soon became embroiled in one of the most emotional story arcs in the show.

After their son passed away (season 11, episode 12, “The Great Pretender”) saw Jackson and April ask their loved ones for some privacy so that they could grieve. While they eventually returned to work a couple of months later, it was clear the two surgeons were struggling and trying to find different ways to help them heal.

Sadly, after April joined the army (episode 22, “She’s Leaving Home [Part 1]”) and continued to extend her tour, their relationship continued to be strained as Jackson confided in their friends about how lost he was feeling (episode 23, “She’s Leaving Home [Part 2])”.

As heartbreaking as it was to see them on the verge of breaking up, it wasn’t surprising, since April and Jackson needed to focus on their mental health more. There was also an indication that more drama was to come, since they had also been away from each other for a year at that point.

Jackson & April Struggle To Reconnect After She Returns From The Army, Leading To Them Getting A Divorce

Season 11, Episode 24 – Season 12, Episode 11

At one point, April and Jackson seemed like one of the most stable Grey’s Anatomy couples, especially after they both threw everything to the wind with their snap marriage decision. However, as was proved later on in season 11, their story was far from a happily-ever-after.

After April and Jackson struggled to reconnect (season 11, episode 24, “Time Stops”) and she contemplated another tour in Jordan (season 11, episode 25, “You’re My Home”), Jackson decided to end their marriage.

Although April wanted to fight for their relationship, the couple couldn’t work through their differences, leading to them officially divorcing in season 12, episode 11, “Unbreak My Heart”. Given their extensive history, this felt like the end of an era, as no one thought they would ever break up.

However, the writers soon dropped another twist when the last scene of the episode saw April tell Arizona she was pregnant. It was something nobody saw coming.

April Keeps Her Pregnancy A Secret From Jackson, But The Relationship Turns Tense After Arizona Tells Him

Season 12, Episode 12 – Episode 15

Jackson and April may have divorced, but the end of their marriage didn’t mark the end of their relationship on Grey’s Anatomy — far from it in fact. As a couple, April and Jackson had experienced some incredibly difficult situations, but the showriters weren’t done putting the characters through the ringer just yet.

After the shocking twist in the last episode (season 12, episode 12, “My Next Life”) sees April decide to keep her pregnancy a secret from Jackson. However, it didn’t take long before Jackson found out in one of the worst ways possible: through someone else (episode 15, “I Am Not Waiting Anymore”).

It was one of the show’s more memorable scenes, particularly since this moment occurred at the same time April decided to tell Jackson herself. As expected, delaying the news ended up being one of the worst things April did on Grey’s Anatomy since the plastic surgeon didn’t respond well (which led to their amicable relationship becoming strained).