Grey's Anatomy: Katherine Heigl Responds to Izzie and Alex's Surprising Reunion, Teases Possible Return

Katherine Heigl is making her feelings known about the conclusion to Izzie and Alex's story on Grey's Anatomy, a show she exited in 2010 without so much as a goodbye storyline.

As you will recall, if you watch Grey's Anatomy online, Alex, played by Justin Chambers, exited the show in 2019.

But the show brought both of their storylines to a close on Grey's Anatomy Season 16 Episode 16, despite neither actor appearing on the episode in the flesh.

Chambers provided voiceovers to help the fans close the book on the beloved couple.

Alex told Meredith through a letter that he had left town to reunite with Izzie.

"This is not the way I wanted to do this,” he wrote to Mer. “But you know me — any chance to take the easy way out.”

Alex revealed that he reached out to Izzie "to see where she landed," but it turned out that she had given birth to his kids, who were growing up without him in their lives.

“I should’ve told Jo or told you,” he said.

“Now I live on a freaking farm in Nowhere, Kansas.”

"You always said Cristina was your person, then I was your person,” he told Mer. “But you’ve never needed anyone but you.”

This development stunned fans, largely because Alex was married to Jo, but Alex did admit his decision hurt the people he loved.

“This cowardice, this letter… it’s officially the worst thing I’ve ever done,” he told Jo, adding that when he met with Izzie again, it was like no time had passed.

“I need to give these kids the family you, and I never had,” he told Jo. 

“When I told you I loved you, I meant it, but Izzie has our kids," he continued.

“I wish getting everything I ever wanted didn’t have to hurt you in the process. Maybe ‘I love you’ is the wrong thing to say." He left Jo everything he owned in Seattle.

“You deserve everything good in this life, Jo. I hope you find so much better than me. I’m sorry. I don’t know how to end this. I don’t want to,” he concluded. “Goodbye.”

Heigl was asked about the twist almost a year later by Entertainment Tonight, and she had the following response:

“Wasn’t [Alex] with someone? Listen, isn’t that an a**hole move?”

Many of the show's fans were up in arms about the development when it played out, but it seemed to resonate more with the fans who bailed on the show in the years between Heigl's exit.

When asked about a potential return, you know, since Grey's Anatomy Season 17 brought a string of former cast members back to Meredith's happy place, Heigl said that she would "never say never, but it's not likely."

Late last year, Grey's showrunner Krista Vernoff claimed that Heigl did not show up to tape a proper send-off.

“We had planned to have her come back for an episode to really properly tie up Izzie and Alex,” Vernoff told the Los Angeles Times.

“I wrote that episode, and it was beautiful. The day before it was supposed to start prepping or shooting, I can’t remember, we got a call that Katie wasn’t coming. Just wasn’t coming. Wasn’t going to do it," she continued.

“I don’t know what was happening in her life,” Vernoff added at the time.

“I don’t know what led to that decision. All I know is that the night before a thing is supposed to start shooting that is entirely centered on one character and the completion of her story arc, I got a phone call that she wasn’t coming to do it.”

However, Heigl's rep told Entertainment Weekly that Krista is mistaken. “Katherine was back in L.A. after parental leave (when she adopted her daughter) waiting to be called to set.”

Heigl has not had the best relationship with Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes ever since they had a falling out, which later led to Heigl's exit.

What are your thoughts on Heigl's view on the situation? Do you think Izzie would have reunited with Alex if he was married to somebody else?

Hit the comments.

Grey's Anatomy returns on March 11. Katherine Heigl will next be seen on Netflix's Firefly Lane.

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