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‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Will Not See Katherine Heigl Return

By Alexandria Ingham
Published on: 03:37 PST, Apr 3, 2017

Grey’s Anatomy fans didn’t know which bits of the news to believe on Saturday. It was April 1, and that meant plenty of fake news and hoaxes being shared. One of those was surrounding a certain actress who fans have mixed views about whether they want to see her return or not: Katherine Heigl.

Hyperble shared the news that the actress was going to return to Grey’s Anatomy, reprising her role as Izzie Stevens. Instantly, fans shared the news on social media, and many had questions about its legitimacy. While there were a small number of fans pointing out that the news had been created on April 1, there were others unwilling to believe that it was an April Fools’ joke.

In fact, it was only today that the confirmation came that this definitely was a hoax. The author of the news piece wrote “April Fools'” at the end, confirming suspicions.

Heigl is unlikely to ever return to Grey’s Anatomy. The actress left on bad terms, complaining about the writing for her character. There is really no need for the character to return. After leaving, she did come back for one episode, which settled the character’s exit, as it was clear that she wouldn’t get a place on a local residency program despite believing that she was a strong candidate.

Grey’s Anatomy fans will remember that Izzie and Alex married after Izzie was diagnosed with cancer. While Izzie fought off the disease, her marriage to Alex didn’t last after she misguidedly blamed him for being fired from the hospital. Alex has since moved on and is currently involved with a tricky storyline involving ex-girlfriend Jo, intern DeLuca, and the potential reveal of Jo’s abusive husband.

Grey’s Anatomy isn’t the only place where behind-the-scenes problems have reportedly cropped up for Heigl. She is known to be one of the more difficult actresses to work with and has struggled to gain traction in the TV world since her attempt to return in 2014 with State of Affairs and in 2016 with Doubt.

Heigl’s return to the medical drama wasn’t the only Grey’s Anatomy hoax over the weekend. Ellen Pompeo found herself the victim of a hoax, with fans spreading the rumor that she was quitting. However, it turns out that this may have been created based on the misinterpretation of Pompeo’s comments.

The actress has certainly said that she is quitting acting when Grey’s Anatomy comes to an end. She wants to take a trip behind the scenes. Just last week, Pompeo made her directorial debut, and it was absolutely stunning, suggesting that she will take a journey that way behind the cameras when the medical drama ends.

Rhimes has also shared that Grey’s Anatomy will end when Pompeo decides she has had enough. There wouldn’t be a show without the titular character. When that will happen is unknown, as Rhimes previously shared that she doesn’t know how the show will end just yet. It wasn’t supposed to go on as long as it has!

The weekend has been another classic example of not believing everything on the internet. April 1 is commonly a day for fake news, although they are usually far more obvious than the rumors that Heigl would return to Grey’s Anatomy. It has since been confirmed this was a hoax and that there are no plans to bring the character of Izzie back to the screens. Pompeo is also not leaving, at least not yet. The actress has plans to stick around for longer, considering the show remains a hit with fans.

Grey’s Anatomy Season 13 continues on Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC and has been renewed for a 14th season.

[Featured Image by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images]

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