More Trouble on Grey's Anatomy Set: Is Katherine Heigl Leaving the Series?

What started out as an intentional leak to People Magazine, has blown up to gigantic proportions -- Is Katherine Heigl about to leave Grey's Anatomy? From E! News to The View, everyone seems to be weighing in on the latest negative news report from the set. Upset that she isn't in the same salary bracket as some of her co-stars, Heigl entered into salary negotiations with Touchstone and the meeting didn't go well. The actress reportedly shut the door on contract talks, leaving many to wonder if she is about to leave the wildly popular series. The short answer is no, Heigl isn't leaving the show, she has a six-year contract.

ABC issued the following statement:

"Katherine is an integral part of Grey's Anatomy and its success. Fortunately, we have a long-term contract to ensure she'll be with the show for several years to come. In recognition of her tremendous talent and value to the show, we recently approached Katherine with an offer to raise her compensation significantly above the terms of her current contract. We were surprised to see this gesture reported negatively in the press, and want to reassure fans that she will continue as Izzie Stevens."

While several of the actors on this series have impressive film and television credits, Heigl is certainly not a newcomer to show business by any means. From starring in the cult favorite TV series Roswell to having a title role in the film My Father the Hero, Heigl has her own list of impressive credits on her resume. Perhaps Touchstone should go the Friends route and pay the series regulars the same base salary to avoid this problem in the future.
^{(Photo of Katherine Heigl © 2006 NBC Universal, Inc./Chris Haston)}