14 DAY TRIAL // Rumors that Katherine Heigl might depart from the show that launched her career, “Grey’s Anatomy,” have been around for a long time, but it wasn’t until recently that they were confirmed by the star herself. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello, Heigl talks about her decision to leave the series, how her life has changed since she first appeared on it, and her plans of forging a career in feature films.
For starters, Heigl wants fans to know that, while she’s aware that she’s disappointed them bitterly for not even giving them the chance to say their goodbyes to her character, her choice was a tough one for she had to decide between the show and her family. Of course, in the end, she chose the latter because she had already set her mind on starting a family and this was just the perfect moment to bond with her adopted daughter. She will never be able to properly express how saddened she is to say her farewell to Izzie, but she hopes fans understand.
Disagreement with the other cast members is not the reason behind the departure, Heigl explains, rubbishing reports that once made the rounds. “Ellen and I text a lot. I’m still waiting to meet [her newborn daughter] Stella Luna. It’s [expletive] me off. [Laughs] And Justin and I have been texting. Chyler Leigh is one of the most amazing young women. Just unbelievably lovely and supportive. These are my friends. They’re kind of family at this point. I spent more time with them over the past six years than I did with my own family. So I’m going to miss that,” the actress adds.
“I couldn’t sacrifice my relationship with my child. Naleigh and I will always be a little bit complicated. I really had to work on bonding with her because I was obsessed with her, but she could really do without me. [Laughs] It was really hard because she loved Josh so much but she just kind of tolerated me. And I want this child to know that she will forever have me in her corner and I don’t want to disappoint her. [Voice cracking] And even though I know I’m disappointing the fans, and I know I’m disappointing the writers and my fellow cast members and the crew, I just had to make a choice. I hope I made the right one… It sucks. You wish you could have it all exactly the way you want it. But that’s not life… I had to try to find the courage to move on. And I am sad. And I’m scared. But I felt it was the right thing to do,” Katherine further says of making what has been, so far, the hardest decision of her life.
In the same interview, the star also opens up about how much it hurts her to know that people perceive her as an ungrateful diva and how she’s taken her outspokenness so far that she often regrets opening her mouth and speaking in front of the cameras. It’s been a very troubled six years for Katherine Heigl and, though she often put her foot in her mouth and her departure is surrounded by controversy, she hopes fans will bear her no hard feelings. For the full piece with EW, please refer here.