RON TOM/ABCBy now, you have probably seen people.com's story regarding our beloved Izzie Stevens, which alleges that "Katherine Heigl has dropped out of contract talks with Grey's Anatomy over salary" and that she is "disappointed that (producer) Touchstone doesn't value her as much as her other costars, especially Sandra Oh and Isaiah Washington."
Well, I am happy to report to you that Katherine Heigl is not leaving Grey's Anatomy. At least, not anytime soon. I've just spoken with various sources connected to the show, and they all confirm to me that Katherine is under a six-year contract—so she would face major legal issues if she tried to leave the show.
So, what happened? Well, according to sources and an official release from ABC Television (see below), the network offered to bump Heigl's pay to a higher amount than her initial contract. However, according to one well-placed show insider, "Heigl's representation felt it unfair that she was still not being offered the same compensation as some of the other supporting actors are making. And so, obviously, someone leaked the story to People."
Meanwhile, ABC Television just responded by releasing the following statement:
"Katherine is an integral part of Grey's Anatomy and its success. Fortunately, we have a long-term contract to ensure she'll be with the show for several years to come. In recognition of her tremendous talent and value to the show, we recently approached Katherine with an offer to raise her compensation significantly above the terms of her current contract. We were surprised to see this gesture reported negatively in the press, and want to reassure fans that she will continue as Izzie Stevens."
I, for one, am thrilled to hear that Heigl will be staying put, since Grey's Anatomy would not be the same without our darling, fierce and fabulous Izzie Stevens.
And, you know, on the off chance ABC just so happens to be looking for opinions about Heigl's worth, well, they can feel free to reread the previous paragraph.
What do you think? Are you glad Heigl's staying? Should she make the same as her costars? Feel free to comment below.