The cast of Grey’s Anatomy had a mini-reunion during the Emmys with the addition of one member who had a controversial exit from the series.
Following a group of doctors as they go through intense personal and professional issues, the show would routinely add and take away cast members with the actors making heartbreaking or controversial exits.
Katherine Heigl joins Grey’s Anatomy’s Emmy reunion
The likes of Ellen Pompeo (Meredith Grey), Justin Chambers (Alex Karev), James Pickens Jr. (Richard Webber), and Chandra Wilson (Miranda Bailey) came together to present the Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a limited or anthology series or movie.
However, fans of the show were shocked to see that the ensemble was joined by Katherine Heigl who played Izzie Stevens from Season 1 to Season 6.
Heigl ultimately left Grey’s Anatomy due to a combination of not feeling like her character was going away in the story and ongoing issues with the show’s creator Shonda Rhimes.
After she declined to put her name forward for Emmy consideration in 2008 because she felt like her character had little substance, rumors began to swirl that the show was about to kill her off.
So, Heigl then asked to be released from her contract 18 months earlier with the reasoning that she wanted to spend more time with her family.
There were also rumors that Heigl was an unpleasant person to work with asRhimes told The Hollywood Reporterthat her show Scandal had “no Heigls” in it, adding that she no longer “puts up with bullshit or nasty people. I don’t have time for it.”
Kayla Harrington was a TV & Movies Writer on Dexerto’s US team, specializing in The Boys, The Walking Dead, House of the Dragon, Marvel and Star Wars. She also has bylines at Mashable, BuzzFeed, and The Mary Sue.
