One of TV’s most verbally vicious behind-the-scenes battles has been the ongoing spat between Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes and the series’ former star Katherine Heigl. Of course, to hear Heigl tell it, she’s been on the receiving end of all this vitriol and only wants to be in Rhimes’ good book again. An impassioned plea for forgiveness or an empty public gesture? You decide.
Heigl sat down for an interview with Extra’s Mario Lopez – certainly the most hard-hitting journalist of the Saved by the Bell crowd – and she didn’t show a single iota of animosity for her ex-boss. Her hand was almost cramping from holding the olive branch out so far. Here’s how she put things, after Lopez asked if Heigl was aware of Rhimes’ continued complaints about her professionalism and attitude.
It sucks. I am sorry that she feels that way, and I wish her nothing but greatness, and I have nothing negative to say about Shonda. I’m a big fan of her work. I watch Scandal every week. So I’m sorry she's left with such a crappy impression of me. I wish I could do something to change that. Maybe I will be able to someday."
I don’t keep up with Scandal, but is it a show that seems open to characters getting hit in the face with fire for the entire runtime? Or do they actually murder the people on How to Get Away with Murder? Those seem like the kinds of roles Rhimes would let Heigl have at this point.
It was just over a month ago when Rhimes let loose on Heigl for a THR story, saying that she no longer puts up with “bullshit or nasty people.” Rhimes had also gone off on Heigl for a previous THR interview, which Heigl also references in the Extra clip.
This was all first spawned by Heigl turning down an Emmy nomination by saying that the quality of the writing that she was performing didn’t warrant awards attention. She then played coy about whether or not she would be leaving the show, which soured her relationship with the creator even more. I think we’ve a better chance of seeing Shonda Rhimes creating a Fox reality series about the KKK than we do of seeing these two rekindling their relationship.
I’m sure if Heigl’s new series State of Affairs is a hit, she won’t put too much thought into her burned bridges. The new series was watched by over 8.6 million people, so there’s definitely a chance. Check out Heigl’s entire interview with Lopez on the next page.
