UPDATE: Heigl’s Hospital Stay Extended
Actress Katherine Heigl is now speaking out about the latest Grey’s controversy in which sources incorrectly reported that she had stopped contract negotiations and was not returning for another season.
“I am embarrassed that this has become a public matter and disappointed that Touchstone felt it necessary to divulge private employment information,” Heigl said in a statement. “I had hoped I would be able to deal with this issue confidentially with my bosses. I dropped out of the renegotiation simply because I wanted to treat myself with the respect I was not getting from them. No matter how unhappy I am about their decision to respond to this publicly, I continue to be passionate about and committed to this character.”
Following previous reports to the contrary, ABC has issued a statement on Wednesday to Grey’s Anatomy fans, assuring them that Heigl was NOT leaving the show and that she was indeed being rewarded for all her hard work.
“Katherine is an integral part of Grey’s Anatomy and its success. Fortunately, we have a long-term contract to ensure she’ll be with the show for several years to come. In recognition of her tremendous talent and value to the show, we recently approached Katherine with an offer to raise her compensation significantly above the terms of her current contract. We were surprised to see this gesture reported negatively in the press, and want to reassure fans that she will continue as Izzie Stevens.”
