Katherine Heigl felt "betrayed" by the backlash against her.
Katherine Heigl was criticised for being outspoken
The 44-year-old actress was criticised in the late noughties for her vocal complaints about the gruelling working conditions on 'Grey's Anatomy' and for branding her comedy 'Knocked Up' "sexist" and she admitted she was "confused" as to why her remarks were taken so badly and regrets subsequently issuing multiple apologies.
She told the February issue of Red magazine: “I’m not the only person in the industry who’s had ups and downs… But it’s like as soon as things were going too well, there was this need to say, ‘Slow down there – let’s humble her.’ I felt betrayed; I felt confused, wondering, ‘How could they turn on me so quickly? I’m just trying to entertain people.’
"I kept apologising, which I now realise just kept giving the whole thing a heartbeat. I thought self-flagellation in front of everybody would make them happy, but actually it made me weaker in people’s eyes and made me feel weak. I now think that one apology was enough.”
The 'Firefly Lane' actress has vowed to keep speaking out about important issues but has learned there are some subjects she should keep private.
She said: “I will always stand up for things I believe in… But I also know that airing dirty laundry is not necessary and will just fuel gossip.
"For example, I’ll continue to take a hard stand about long working hours for cast and crew on movie sets, because it’s not good for people’s mental or physical health. I’m not going to apologise for that stance, and I don’t really care if people agree with me or not.
"I’ll also keep talking about animal rights, because that’s something I’m passionate about.
"But if it’s a personal matter – if I’ve had a problem with somebody in a work capacity – I’ve learned to keep that a little more private.”
And Katherine has grown to understand she shouldn't pay attention to what other people think of her.
She said: “My father used to say, ‘Don’t read the good reviews if you won’t read the bad.’ I now understand his point. Whether they hate you or love you, it doesn’t matter.
"You have to know who you are; you can’t depend on public opinion for your self-esteem.”
The full interview with Katherine is available in the February 2023 issue of Red, which is on sale now.
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