Katherine Heigl Reveals She Could've Handled Grey's Anatomy Exit With "More Grace"

Katherine Heigl is reflecting on her controversial departure from ABC's Grey's Anatomy.

The actress spoke to People in a new interview and said she could have handled it "with more grace."

"I know there's a better way to deal with those things than I did," she told the outlet about her exit.

"I could have handled it with more grace."

Heigl revealed that she did not regret her decision to leave the series, but she did regret the heightened drama surrounding her exit.

"I did the right thing for me and for my family," she said.

"I don't actually regret leaving Grey's Anatomy... but I do regret the heightened drama I was feeling at that time," Heigl added.

"If I'd known anything about meditation then, or had been talking to a therapist or someone to help me through some of the fear that I was steeped in, I think I would have been more calm in how I approached what boundaries I needed to create to thrive."

Heigl's breakout role was on Grey's Anatomy, a role she played for five years from 2005-10.

The role earned her an Emmy award, but the actress withdrew herself from the Emmy race a year later.

"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," she said in a statement at the time.

Last month, Heigl opened up about being labeled difficult in an interview with the Washington Post.

"I may have said a couple of things you didn't like, but then that escalated to 'she's ungrateful,' then that escalated to 'she's difficult,' and that escalated to 'she's unprofessional,'" the actress told the publication.

"What is your definition of difficult? Somebody with an opinion that you don't like? Now, I'm 42, and that s--- pisses me off."

Heigl has not ruled out a return to Grey's Anatomy, but she has admitted that it's unlikely.

The series said goodbye to Izzie and Alex last season by reuniting them off-screen, a decade after their relationship came to a close.

To fans, the characters are living on a farm and raising their children, and there's a good chance their storyline will not be revisited any time soon.

The actress currently stars on Netflix's new drama, Firefly Lane, alongside Sarah Chalke.

The series focuses on Tully and Kate, who support each other through good times and bad with an unbreakable bond that carries them from their teens to their forties.

The series launched on Wednesday, and while it didn't get the best response from critics, it has amassed an audience score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.

What are your thoughts on Heigl's comments?

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.