Katherine Heigl

Katherine Heigl (accesshollywood.com)

Izzie Stevens will soon be gone from Seattle Grace Hospital.

After six season, the actress who play the role of Izzie, Katherine Heigl has decided to split with Grey’s Anatomy. The rumors are coming true, officially.

31-year-old Heigl explained the departure in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying that she is done with the show, citing family issues as the reason behind her exit. She said, “I started a family and it changed everything for me. It changed my desire to work full-time.”

Heigl and musician husband Josh Kelley adopted their daughter Naleigh from South Korea in September 2009. She already took a three-month leave from Grey’s Anatomy earlier this season to spend time with her family, but apparently she decided to take more permanent time.

She added, “We just finalized our agreement. Everyone had been working really hard to find an amicable and gracious way of letting go and moving on. It’s sad but it’s what I wanted.” A rep for ABC and Heigl’s rep both had confirmed her departure from Grey’s., saying that it was a mutual agreement.

Fans may be especially disappointed to find out that Heigl’s character, Izzie Stevens, has already left the show. On Wednesday, the show’s network reported that Jan. 21 episode was Heigl’s last official appearance, even though she was supposed to appear in five additional episodes this season. To that fact, Heigl said, “I know I’m disappointing the fans. I just had to make a choice. I hope I made the right one.”

Although she gained her fame from the medical drama, Heigl had appeared in several movies, such as; Knocked Up, 27 Dresses, and The Ugly Truth. She has two new films headed to the big screen this year: Killers, opposite Ashton Kutcher, and Greg Berlanti’s Life as We Know It, with Josh Duhamel.

Bye-bye, Izzie…

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