Katherine Heigl Is Out of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

Katherine Heigl is leaving the ABC hit series “Grey’s Anatomy” after many months of speculation in this sense. Sources close to the production tell Michael Ausiello of The Ausiello Files that Heigl is finally getting what she wanted all along, namely a discharge, as ABC has agreed to let her out of her contract.

Talk of the feature film rising star leaving the show has been around ever since the scandal that made T.R. Knight also decide it was time he focused on other projects. However, Heigl and ABC couldn’t come to an agreement that would suit both, which meant she took plenty of absence leaves in recent months, either to see to her commitments with feature films or to spend time with her adoptive daughter.

“Sources confirm to me exclusively that series creator Shonda Rhimes has agreed to release the fast-rising movie star from her contract. It’s now up to ABC Studios and Heigl’s reps to hash out a final exit agreement. […] After taking more than half of the current season off to make another movie and connect with her adopted daughter, Heigl was scheduled to return to the Grey’s set on March 1 to begin work on the five remaining episodes of the season. There’s just one problem: March 1 came and went and there was no Heigl,” Ausiello writes.

“A source within the actress’ camp claims Heigl ‘was at home and ready to return to work.’ Another insider, however, ‘insists it’s much more complicated than that.’ The source adds that talks between Heigl and ABC have been going on for months and last week both sides mutually decided that the best solution would be to part ways now as opposed to at the end of the season. As a result, Heigl is not expected to return to the Grey’s set, which means her final episode as Izzie has already aired. The break-up caps a long history of tumult between Heigl and Grey’s,” Ausiello goes on to say.

Though, as a rule, reports that cite unnamed sources are not quite the definition of reliability, Michael Ausiello is rarely wrong with his. Well connected with all major television studios, he’s one of the few reliable sources for this kind of news – so, if he says the final episode with Heigl has already aired, chances are ABC will be issuing a statement to confirm it very shortly.