Katherine Heigl makes first public appearance in two years after revealing why she won’t ‘mess’ with Hollywood
Katherine Heigl just made her first public appearance in two years.
The 47-year-old American actress, who's best known for playing Dr. Izzie Stevens on the hit medical series Grey's Anatomy, has remained almost completely out of the spotlight in recent years.
She left the world of Hollywood behind in the 2010s and relocated to Utah with her husband, Josh Kelley, and their three children - Naleigh, 16, Adalaide, 13, and Joshua, eight.
It came after she became a household name for her work in movies and TV shows, such as beloved rom-coms like Knocked Up in 2007 and 27 Dresses in 2008.
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Before this, she made her movie debut in That Night in 1992, before starring in the likes of King of the Hill, the 1994 comedy My Father the Hero, and Disney's Wish Upon a Star in 1996 - all before she graduated high school.
However, her biggest break came with her Grey's Anatomy role, which led to her being cast in a slew of films, such as The Ugly Truth (2009), Life As We Know It (2010), and New Year's Eve (2011).
Now, though, after Heigl's star-studded younger years, she's opted for a more private and peaceful life away from Hollywood, while still working, with her most recent role being in Netflix's Firefly Lane until 2023.
But on Sunday (8 March), she made an extremely rare appearance at the Wine, Women & Shoes Benefiting Big Dog Ranch Rescue at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
The actress brought her mum along as a plus-one and wore a patterned green and blue off-the-shoulder dress, paired with blue heels.
She was pictured sweetly cuddling the puppies at the event, after not being on a red carpet for two years.
Her last appearance was at the Emmy Awards back in January 2024, where she reunited with her Grey's Anatomy cast members Ellen Pompeo, Justin Chambers, James Pickens Jr., and Chandra Wilson, to present the Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie award.
In an April 2025 interview with E! News, Hiegl revealed why she's not rushing to return to Hollywood.
She explained: "I have found and carved out this peace for myself and for my family, and it brings me so much joy and contentment and clarity and grounding."
When quizzed on whether she’s considered returning, she responded: “I just think, 'Why mess with that?'"
However, that doesn't mean there aren't moments when she questions her decision.
Heigl reasoned: "Sometimes I ask myself if I should be in the game, if I should be hustling, if I should be more ambitious. And I just think I really don't want to.
"If you don't want that, then don't do it, just because you think that's what you're supposed to do, or that's what society expects from you."
She explained: “Nothing shoots in Utah, so I have to go on location, and it's just it's not something right now that I can fathom doing successfully. I think I would be so torn and divided. I don't know how much of my attention I could give a project when I'm worried about my kids at home."
Adding: "I'm really happy and content, and I'm so grateful for the years I had in the industry, in the hustle."
Topics: Grey's Anatomy, Netflix, Entertainment, Celebrity
Madison Burgess