Katherine Heigl Explains Why She Really Left ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

Katherine Heigl left Grey’s Anatomy, but her reason had almost nothing to do with the show. She simply had to rearrange her priorities.

The medical drama show has been a massively popular draw for audiences who missed ER, and after Heigl left the show in 2010 it seemed the actress behind Dr. Isobel Stevens had a problem with her role. She began realizing she had no time to actually be a mother to her children, both adopted.

Husband Josh Kelley and daughter Adelaide were left with most of the parental responsibilities as the actress gained ridicule for her big screen roles in romantic comedy films. That was how Heigl allegedly saw it. She wasn’t being the mom she wanted to be, and the films were allegedly “destroying” her career. There is no word yet on whether she will try more serious film roles in the future.

Actress Katherine Heigl had this to say on her departure from the popular medical drama:

“I would come home angry and frustrated that I’d missed everything with my kid that day. I didn’t get to wake her up from her nap, or do bath time or bedtime. I’d have to sneak into her room and kiss her when she was sleeping, hoping not to wake her up.

“I felt like my priorities were messed up. I was putting so much time and energy into just my work, but I was raised [to believe] that family comes first.”

This is especially true of adopted children. She chose to raise both Adelaide and Naleigh, and Heigl wasn’t doing her part. Her anger and frustration came from not being able to do the job that mattered to her more. Heigl probably felt guilty that Adelaide was doing more to raise young Naleigh than she was. The pressure allegedly gave her an attitude that made her appear difficult to work with, and Katherine Heigl knew something had to change.

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Katherine Heigl also dreams of moving to the Utah mountains, expanding the family, and simply retiring to a quieter life. For now she’s enjoying her time out of the spotlight, but will she eventually grow tired of the simpler life and return to the screen in a possible Grey’s Anatomy reunion?

For now you can catch Heigl in NBC’s State of Affairs coming this Fall.

[image via Bing]