When Grey's Anatomy aired in 2005, we were introduced to the M.A.G.I.C cast or the original five interns—Meredith Grey, Alex Karev, George O'Malley, Izzie Stevens, and Cristina Yang. Katherine Heigl, 42, and T.R. Knight, 45, played best friends, George and Izzie. They were the first ones to exit Seattle Grace Memorial, now known as the Grey-Sloan Memorial. In season 5, Knight's character died after jumping in front of a bus to save a woman's life. Izzie left the following season without a proper farewell.
Heigl's exit gave fans the impression that she became estranged from the Grey's Anatomy crew. Then there was her "bitter" reaction to Alex's reunion with Izzie—the season 16 plot twist that marked Justin Chambers' exit from the series. In 2012, the 27 Dresses star said she was still in touch with her former castmates, including Chambers. She also revealed that Knight was her real-life best friend. But these days, they don't even follow each other on Instagram...
Tracing It Back To Heigl's Controversial Exit From 'Grey's Anatomy'
There was a lot of drama surrounding Heigl's departure from Grey's Anatomy. Her initial statement in 2008 was: "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. In addition, I did not want to potentially take away an opportunity from an actress who was given such materials." She was then labeled "difficult" to work with—a reputation that would haunt her career in the next years.
Later in 2010, the Knocked Up actress said that it was a vacation in her family's home in Utah that "changed my whole perspective." She said it was "the turning point" that ended up with a mutual agreement with showrunner, Shonda Rhimes. She clarified that the rumors about her being a diva and refusing to stay weren't true. She just "couldn’t sacrifice my relationship with my child." At that time, Heigl had just adopted a 9-month-old baby—her eldest child, Naleigh, 12.
Fans also speculated that the tension between Heigl and former co-star Isaiah Washington, 58, may have fueled the decision. At the 2007 Golden Globes, the Ugly Truth star publicly slammed The 100 actor for using a gay slur. The year before, Washington was reportedly arguing with Patrick Dempsey, 55, when he said: "I'm not your little faggot like T.R. [Knight]." He was shortly fired from the show. Knight, who hadn't publicly come out as gay yet, wasn't on set that day. Prior to the Golden Globes, he was forced to address the questions about his sexuality due to the rumors.
"I was recently talking to T.R. [Knight] about this and I said, “I hope I didn’t embarrass you and draw more attention to something that you just wanted to go away," Heigl told EW in 2010. "[Fighting back tears] And he said I could never have embarrassed him and that he was so grateful because no one had ever stood up for him that way before. So that is a proud moment for me [and] I don’t regret it. And I’m just so grateful that my friend doesn’t regret it". How adorable, right? It's like Izzie defending George to the other interns.
Heigl And Knight's Post-'Grey's Anatomy' Friendship
Washington may have reignited his feud with Heigl in 2020, but the Firefly Lane actress maintains that she doesn't "think he’s evil or horrible or a bad person." She just thinks he "made a mistake... a [big] one." She still treasures their good times on set and says she doesn't wish him ill. The main reason she called him out was that "I don't think [Washington] meant it the way it came off, but T.R. is my best friend. I will throw down for that kid."
She added, "I will beat you up. I will use every ounce of energy I have to take you down if you hurt his feelings." Post-Grey's Anatomy, Heigl and Knight were often spotted in public together. She also attended his wedding in 2013. In 2015, a fan asked Heigl on Twitter if she was still friends with The Flight Attendant actor. She replied: "Of course and we always will be! He's the best. A wonderful friend and a special person to me."
Fast forward to 2021, Heigl and Knight aren't following each other on Instagram. Fans thought it's odd since she's mutuals with other actors she's worked with, like Grey's Anatomy's lead star Ellen Pompeo and Josh Duhamel from Life as We Know It. Maybe they just got busy with their own lives. Think about it—until Dempsey's cameo in season 17, fans thought he and Pompeo weren't friends anymore.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGiYq51dnL%2BmxdJmmKeZpKS6unnSrZirq12grrW0xKugp51dnbKqs8tmmKecXam%2FbrfNop6hrF2owaq4y2adq6GVo7G0ecarnLKrXZa7osDOprBmm5%2BjwbO71Z6prLFf