Heigl at lunch with her closest friends.

America’s Sweetheart Katherine Heigl — who’s now disliked by everyone from the writers of “Grey’s Anatomy” to the cast of Knocked Up to probably anyone else who helped her achieve fame — will be coming back to TV as the star and producer of an HBO movie called The Cat Lady Who Was Better Than Everyone Else. No, not really. But the actual title is almost as good: The Knitting Circle. Ooohhh, sounds riveting! Slow down those rocking chairs!

Heigl is set to play the central character in [Ann] Hood’s semiautobiographical novel, a mother mourning the death of her young daughter and struggling to overcome the grief that jeopardizes every aspect of her life, including her marriage. She begins to find her way back into the world through a knitting circle and the stories its members share. [Deadline]

Hmmmmm… what’s that sound I hear? Chugga-chugga chugga-chugga chugga-chugga… CHOO CHOO! “All aboard the Bitchy Actress Express! Next stop: Lifetime original movies!”

Between slamming the writers of “Grey’s Anatomy” and calling Knocked Up “misogynistic,” Katherine Heigl has gotten a reputation for being an ungrateful pain in the ass. Now that she’s finally off the ABC estrogen-fest that made her a star, she opened up to Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello, the official gay best friend of Hollywood fag hags. And to her credit, she owned up to the things she said:

In 2008, you announced that you decided not to enter yourself in the Emmy race because, you said “I did not feel I was given the material this season to warrant a nomination.” Any regrets about making that statement?
HEIGL: Yes. [Laughs]

Why?
HEIGL: You know… At the time I thought I was doing the right thing. And I wanted to be clear that I wasn’t snubbing the Emmys. The night I won [in 2007] was the highlight of my career. I just was afraid that if I said, “No comment,” it was going to come off like I couldn’t be bothered to [enter the race]. But really, I could have more gracefully said that without going into a private work matter. It was between me and the writers. I ambushed them, and it wasn’t very nice or fair.

That statement, and the one you made on Letterman, combined with the fact that you’re leaving the show before your contract is up, have fostered a perception of you as an ungrateful diva.  Are you aware that this is how some people view you?
HEIGL: Yes. The ungrateful thing bothers me the most. And that is my fault. I allowed myself to be perceived that way because I was being whiny and I was griping and because I made these snarky comments. So much about living life, to me, is about humility and gratitude. And I’ve tried very hard to have those qualities and be that person and I’m just so disappointed in myself that I allowed it to slip. Of course, of course I’m grateful. How can I not be grateful? [...] I am disappointed in myself for allowing that perception to exist… And I hope that in the coming years I can change people’s minds about that… Like any job, there are ups and downs. But I don’t want to demean what that experience was. I don’t want it to become about this negativity that I’ve spewed.

You know what? She seems genuinely regretful about the things she said and her desire to change our perception of her in the coming years. I don’t like to give away too much free advice, but a good start to that would be going fully nude in her next two or three or eight films.

Oh no. Terrible news today for fans of “Grey’s Anatomy,” as America’s Sweetheart Katherine Heigl reportedly will not be returning to the show. Michael Ausiello says:

[S]eries creator Shonda Rhimes has agreed to release the fast-rising movie star [sic] from her contract. It’s now up to ABC Studios and Heigl’s reps to hash out a final exit agreement. [...]

After taking more than half of the current season off to make another movie and connect with her adopted daughter, Heigl was scheduled to return to the Grey’s set on March 1 to begin work on the five remaining episodes of the season. There’s just one problem: March 1 came and went and there was no Heigl…

The source adds that talks between Heigl and ABC have been going on for months and last week both sides mutually decided that the best solution would be to part ways now as opposed to at the end of the season. As a result, Heigl is not expected to return to the Grey’s set, which means her final episode as Izzie has already aired.

What absolutely heartbreaking news. We’ll never again have the joy of seeing Katherine Heigl pretend to love a dead guy, or pretend to have cancer. I guess we’ll just have to cross our fingers and hope for the real thing.

      “These taste like wax.” *

Forbes released their list of the top earning women in prime time (which is why Oprah didn’t top the list).  They included all sources of income.  Radar reports:

Heading up the list is Trya Banks, with an estimated annual earnings of $30 million. Tyra earns the majority of her money from the hugely successful America’s Next Top Model and her daytime talk show as well as various TV cameos.  Second on the list is Grey’s Anatomy cutie Katherine Heigl earning $18 million for her turn as a TV doctor as well as her role as leading lady in films such as The Ugly Truth.

The top ten is posted inside.  No way are Tyra Banks and Katherine Heigl worth almost seven times as much as Tina Fey.  That $48 million would be better spent trying to make six clones of Tina Fey and having them pillowfight.  If there’s any money left over, I guess we could help cancer kids or something.  But first, pillowfight.

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Big-time Hollywood star and renowned pleasant person to work with Katherine Heigl will return to Grey’s Anatomy next season, according to someone who cared enough to find out.

Although ABC and ABC Studios won’t officially declare that Katherine Heigl will return for a full season next year,  sources close to “Grey’s Anatomy” said today that the actress will return to the medical show for the last year of her contract.

When viewers last saw Izzie, she was enticing her BFF, George (T.R. Knight), to join her in what was presumably the last elevator ride of both their lives since Izzie has terminal cancer and George got hit by a bus. Well, the elevator appears to have saved Izzie, but George, not so much. [L.A. Times]

Not that you or I care, because we don’t, but Knight himself confirmed he won’t be returning to “Grey’s.”  So we lose George but keep Izzie.  Gosh, this changes everything for me.  Now I’ll still not have to watch.