Heigl fires back in contract dispute

Katherine Heigl released a statement Thursday evening criticizing ABC/Touchstone for going public with details about her contract with Grey’s Anatomy. This is the latest development in what has become an ongoing dispute between Heigl and ABC, which started on Tuesday when People first reported that Heigl backed out of contract negotiations because she felt Grey’s did not value her as much as her costars. ABC responded on Wednesday with a statement saying that the show offered Heigl a substantial pay increase and that she is contractually obliged to stay with the show ”for several years to come.”

Heigl plays Dr. Izzie Stevens on Grey’s Anatomy and also appears in the Judd Apatow comedy Knocked Up, which is scheduled for a June release.

KATHERINE HEIGL’S STATEMENT

”I am embarrassed that this has become a public matter and disappointed that Touchstone felt it necessary to divulge private employment information. I had hoped I would be able to deal with this issue confidentially with my bosses. I dropped out of the renegotiation simply because I wanted to treat myself with the respect I was not getting from them. No matter how unhappy I am about their decision to respond to this publicly, I continue to be passionate about and committed to this character.”