Is Katherine Heigl Leaving Grey’s Anatomy?

Izzie is back — but her return could be short-lived.

After taking a three-month maternity leave to bond with her 15-month-old daughter Naleigh, whom she adopted in September with husband Josh Kelley, Katherine Heigl is due to return to the set of Grey’s Anatomy on March 1. Two weeks later, the actress, 31, will travel to Las Vegas to accept the ShoWest award for Female Star of the Year, a film-industry honor previously won by the likes of Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston.

Is the award yet another sign that Heigl — who took a five-episode hiatus from Grey’s earlier this season to film the romantic comedy Life As We Know It with Josh Duhamel — is ready to depart Grey’s to focus full-time on her film career?

“It wouldn’t be a shock,” says a source close to the show. By the time Grey’s airs the finale of season 6 in May, Heigl will have been absent from roughly half of its 24-episode run.

Since joining ABC’s hit medical series in 2005, the actress hasn’t shied away from expressing her occasional displeasure with the show. She won a supporting actress Emmy in 2007 but announced the following year she was withdrawing her name from Emmy contention because she “did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination.” Last July, the actress complained to David Letterman about returning to the Grey’s set: “Our first day back was Wednesday and it was — I’m going to keep saying this because I hope it embarrasses them — a 17-hour day, which I think is cruel and mean.”

Then is the actress, who has five movies in development and an action comedy, Killers, due in theaters in June, indeed winding down her stint as Dr. Isobel Stevens? “The level of speculation is no different than it has been in the past couple of years,” says another show insider, who adds that casting changes are typical of a show with a six-season run.

Whatever happens, don’t expect an announcement before June, when the show’s cast typically learns about their contracts for the coming season. Heigl’s rep did not return calls for comment, and ABC declined to discuss specifics of their actors’ contracts.

Gerard Butler: I Heart You!

Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl get cute with hearts in this new poster for their upcoming rom-com "The Ugly Truth", out in July.

The moview is abour a romantically challenged morning-show producer (Heigl) that is reluctantly embroiled in a series of outrageous tests by her male chauvinist correspondent (Butler) to prove his theories on relationships and allow her to find love. His clever ploys, however lead to an unexpected result.

This should be a cute movie to watch. Plus, who wouldn't want to watch sexy Gerard in action.

Katherine Heigl to be Killed Off Grey’s Anatomy

Katherine Heigl’s Dr. Izzie Stevens is to be killed off Grey’s Anatomy.

The writers have diagnosed Dr. Izzie with skin cancer that’s spread to her brain, with a five percent survival rate.

Rumors have circulated for months that Katherine Heigl was either going to get fired or she wanted to leave. Well, it looks like Katherine’s wishes have come to fruition and she will soon be out of a full time gig!

On last Thursday’s episode, Dr. Izzie has a group of inters diagnose”Patient X” and the chilling results culminated with one intern saying Patient X was “toast.”

One group of people who won’t be weeping any tears over Katherine’s dismissal is the producer and group of writers. As reported by UsWeekly.

“[Producer] Shonda Rhimes and the writers are pissed at her,” the source told Us then, adding that producers were considering giving her a brain tumor. “It’s their way of screwing with her. She won’t know whether she’s going to live or die.”

Heigl & Knight Eye Grey's Anatomy Departure

"Grey's Anatomy" stars Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight will soon be leaving the TV medical drama, Us Weekly magazine reported on Tuesday.

Actor James Pickens Jr, who plays Dr Richard Webber on the ABC show, confirmed long-swirling rumors that Heigl, 30, would be taking off her scrubs for good.

"Yes, she is," Pickens was quoted as telling the magazine at the weekend. "Wherever Katherine goes, I wish her nothing but the best."

Pickens added that Knight, who plays Dr George O'Malley, is "going too."

"He just wanted to pursue other career paths," Pickens said.

ABC said it was "not commenting at this time" on the report.

Both Knight, 35, and Heigl, who won a 2007 Emmy for playing Dr Isobel "Izzie" Stevens, have been cast regulars since the show started in 2005.

Knight has been reported for some months to be seeking a release from his "Grey's Anatomy" contract and Heigl has recently starred in the movie comedies "27 Dresses" and "Knocked Up".