Ellen Pompeo Defends Katherine Heigl In Epic Reunion Interview

Ellen Pompeo and Katherine Heigl recently reunited for a pretty incredible interview with Variety. The former Grey's Anatomy co-stars started their conversation by catching up on their kids and reminiscing about how they used to fake-operate on real animal parts, but talk inevitably turned to the backlash Heigl faced leading up to her exit from the series in 2010 (after Season 6).

"I was so naive," Heigl said. "I got on my soapbox and I had some things to say, and I felt really passionate about this stuff."

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Although she and Pompeo don't reference her headline-making controversies directly, there were two major incidents that got Heigl bad press before her departure from Grey's: One was that she withdrew her name from Emmy consideration in 2008, stating that she didn't feel she was "given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination." The other was that she called Knocked Up, the movie that made her a big-screen star, "a little sexist."

"It paints the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight, and it paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys," she said in a 2008 interview with Vanity Fair. "It exaggerated the characters, and I had a hard time with it, on some days."

Without referencing either of those incidents, Heigl went on to admit to Pompeo that she didn't just get on her soapbox—she "got a megaphone out," too.

"There was no part of me that imagined a bad reaction," she said. "I felt really justified in how I felt about it and where I was coming from. I’ve spent most of my life—I think most women do—being in that people-pleasing mode. It’s really disconcerting when you feel like you have really displeased everybody. It was not my intention to do so, but I had some things to say, and I didn’t think I was going to get such a strong reaction.”

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She added that the experience made her question whether she was a “bad” person. “I literally believed that version, and felt such shame for such a long time, and then had to go, ‘Wait. Who am I listening to? I’m not even listening to myself. I know who I am,'” Heigl said.

As it turns out, Pompeo is on her side. "You were just a little early, because they came out with this thing where everybody has their own megaphone and they get a blue check. It’s called Twitter," she said. "You were just a little ahead of your time, lady."

Heigl, clearly in on the gag, adds, "Damn it, I should have waited for Twitter. I’d be huge!"

The former Grey's Anatomy co-stars may not have appeared on the show together in years, but it seems they have nothing but deep respect for one another after all this time.

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