HOLLYWOOD, Calif — After months of speculation, Katherine Heigl has finally confirmed that she's leaving Grey's Anatomy.
"I am done," Heigl declares in the upcoming issue of Entertainment Weekly. "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."
Heigl, 31, has missed the majority of the current season in order to focus on her movie career and recently adopted daughter, Naleigh. She tells the magazine that it was her family life that pushed her to depart the ABC series after six seasons.
"I started a family and it changed everything for me," she says. "It changed my desire to work full-time."
Heigl had hoped to appear in the final five episodes of the season but says those plans have since been scrapped.
"I know I'm disappointing the fans," says Heigl, whose Dr. Izzie Stevens character was last seen on Jan. 21. "I just had to make a choice. I hope I made the right one."
In a statement to EW, ABC wished Heigl well, while adding: "Everyone at Grey’s Anatomy is now focused on delivering a shocking season finale and a great show for seasons to come."
Heigl has expressed her disappointment with the series on several occasions over the years, including in 2008 when she famously pulled herself out of Emmy consideration by complaining about her "material" on the show.
Next up for the star is her big screen role opposite Ashton Kutcher in Killers, which hits theaters on June 4.
Also see: Katherine Heigl Photos
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