Katherine Heigl Clears the Air on Emmys Drama, Grey’s Anatomy Fallout

Katherine Heigl insisted to Shannon Doherty on her “Let’s Be Clear” podcast that she would never disrespect the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences by rejecting an Emmys award. However, she did not walk back comments that appeared critical of Shonda Rhimes and the show that launched her career, turning her into a superstar.

Heigl won an Emmy for her role in “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2007, but the following year, she was absent from the red carpet and the nominations list. “I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination, and in an effort to maintain the integrity of the academy organization, I withdrew my name from contention,” she announced in a statement, as reported by The New York Times.

Unsurprisingly, Rhimes took the criticism personally and openly expressed her feelings about Heigl, accusing her of being a diva and difficult to work with. In a January 2021 interview with The Washington Post, Heigl reflected on Rhimes’ denunciation: “I may have said a couple of things you didn’t like, but then that escalated to ‘she’s ungrateful,’ then that escalated to ‘she’s difficult,’ and that escalated to ‘she’s unprofessional,'” Heigl recounted. “What is your definition of difficult? Somebody with an opinion that you don’t like? Now, I’m 42, and that stuff pisses me off.”

Source: The New York Times, The Washington Post