Katherine Heigl Fires Back After Being Told She “Was Hated” on Grey’s Anatomy: “That Is Not True”

Katherine Heigl is pushing back — hard. The actress, who played the beloved Dr. Izzie Stevens on Grey’s Anatomy from 2005 to 2010, has fired back after someone told her to her face that she “was hated” on the show’s set. And she is not having it.

Heigl addressed the comment directly, making clear she disputes the characterization of her time on the iconic ABC medical drama. “That is not true,” she said bluntly, according to reports — before going further to challenge the narrative that has followed her for years.

The Reputation That Has Followed Her

Heigl has been dogged by a “difficult to work with” reputation since her Grey’s days, stemming in part from comments she made about the show’s writing and her controversial withdrawal from Emmy consideration in 2008, saying she hadn’t been given material worthy of a nomination. Those remarks caused a firestorm that, by many accounts, had a lasting impact on her career.

Over the years, co-stars and producers have given mixed accounts of what the set was actually like. Some have defended her, while others have been less charitable. Heigl has previously acknowledged she could have handled some situations better — but she has also consistently maintained that the full picture is more complicated than the tabloid version.

She Is Done Letting the Narrative Stand Unchallenged

What is clear from her latest response is that Heigl is no longer willing to let the story go unchallenged. After years of a quieter approach, she appears to be in a more combative place — ready to defend herself and correct the record on what she says actually happened during her time on one of television’s biggest shows.