Katherine Heigl: career, family, and raising daughters
12 march 2026 в 22:37
Katherine Heigl has built a successful career starring in popular TV shows and beloved romantic comedies. While she gained recognition for series such as «Firefly Lane» and «The Firm», - as well as films like «27 Dresses» and «Knocked Up», - her breakthrough role came as Dr. Izzie Stevens in the series «Grey's Anatomy», - which aired from 2005 to 2010.
Off-screen, Katherine is a loving wife and mother. She has been married to singer-songwriter Josh Kelley since 2007, and the couple has three wonderful children. She clearly adores her kids. «My children are not just the light of my life; they are the light in my life. They have focused me, grounded me, and given me purpose», - she said in a 2018 interview on the «Today» show.
Below, you can learn more about Katherine Heigl’s three children.
Josh and Katherine got married in 2007, and two years later, they adopted their first daughter, Nancy Leigh, whom they affectionately call «Naleigh», - from South Korea. Katherine admitted that having her own adopted sister made her want to create a similar family. «I wanted my family to resemble the one I came from, so I always knew I wanted to adopt from Korea. We also discussed the possibility of having biological children, but we decided to adopt first. I just wanted to be a mom. So however we did it, I was okay with it», - she told Scholastic Parent & Child.
Naleigh was born with a congenital heart defect and had to undergo surgery before leaving Korea, as the actress shared in a 2010 interview with Harper’s Bazaar. «Her heart is perfectly fine now. She has a scar, so she won’t be wearing a bikini, but we’re okay with that», - she joked at the time.
In that same interview, she talked about the values she wanted to instill in her daughter. «I want her privileges to allow her to seek out different things that can fulfill her. I don’t want her to have a BMW for her 16th birthday or to spend the summer in a beach house with friends. No. If you want a beach house, pay for it yourself», - she said.
Katherine regularly posts birthday wishes for her daughter. In 2021, she shared old photos from when she adopted Naleigh. She wrote a heartfelt post for her daughter when she turned 15 in November 2023. «I find it hard to find the words to properly express the depth of my love for this beautiful, gentle, thoughtful girl. No word seems deep enough to reflect that love. I will try. Nothing prepares you for motherhood», - she wrote in part. «I have somehow been blessed with a daughter whose soft soul, sense of responsibility and kindness, beauty, and patience amaze me. I would like to take credit for that, but the magical young woman Naleigh has become is more connected to her wonderful spirit than to me».
While Naleigh was still a teenager, the «27 Dresses» star also confessed that she does not allow her daughter to use social media in a 2021 interview with Parents Magazine. «She is just one of two kids in her class who doesn’t have her own phone. So she secretly takes my iPad and creates TikTok videos without my permission. I know she thinks I’m a tyrant, but I’m concerned about the impact of social media on kids her age», - she said.
About three years after adopting Naleigh, Katherine and Josh adopted their second daughter, Adelaide, from the United States. She shared that during the time between adopting Naleigh and Adelaide, it became more challenging to adopt children from abroad, but she had the opportunity to adopt Adelaide from an American mother.
As the girls grew up, Katherine explained that she is very open with them about what they know about their biological parents. «They really do have more questions as they grow older. We told them, 'This is your story. We don’t have information about your biological fathers, but we do have a little about your biological mothers. If you want to know more, we are ready to share,'» she added
Off-screen, Katherine is a loving wife and mother. She has been married to singer-songwriter Josh Kelley since 2007, and the couple has three wonderful children. She clearly adores her kids. «My children are not just the light of my life; they are the light in my life. They have focused me, grounded me, and given me purpose», - she said in a 2018 interview on the «Today» show.
Below, you can learn more about Katherine Heigl’s three children.
Josh and Katherine got married in 2007, and two years later, they adopted their first daughter, Nancy Leigh, whom they affectionately call «Naleigh», - from South Korea. Katherine admitted that having her own adopted sister made her want to create a similar family. «I wanted my family to resemble the one I came from, so I always knew I wanted to adopt from Korea. We also discussed the possibility of having biological children, but we decided to adopt first. I just wanted to be a mom. So however we did it, I was okay with it», - she told Scholastic Parent & Child.
Naleigh was born with a congenital heart defect and had to undergo surgery before leaving Korea, as the actress shared in a 2010 interview with Harper’s Bazaar. «Her heart is perfectly fine now. She has a scar, so she won’t be wearing a bikini, but we’re okay with that», - she joked at the time.
In that same interview, she talked about the values she wanted to instill in her daughter. «I want her privileges to allow her to seek out different things that can fulfill her. I don’t want her to have a BMW for her 16th birthday or to spend the summer in a beach house with friends. No. If you want a beach house, pay for it yourself», - she said.
Katherine regularly posts birthday wishes for her daughter. In 2021, she shared old photos from when she adopted Naleigh. She wrote a heartfelt post for her daughter when she turned 15 in November 2023. «I find it hard to find the words to properly express the depth of my love for this beautiful, gentle, thoughtful girl. No word seems deep enough to reflect that love. I will try. Nothing prepares you for motherhood», - she wrote in part. «I have somehow been blessed with a daughter whose soft soul, sense of responsibility and kindness, beauty, and patience amaze me. I would like to take credit for that, but the magical young woman Naleigh has become is more connected to her wonderful spirit than to me».
While Naleigh was still a teenager, the «27 Dresses» star also confessed that she does not allow her daughter to use social media in a 2021 interview with Parents Magazine. «She is just one of two kids in her class who doesn’t have her own phone. So she secretly takes my iPad and creates TikTok videos without my permission. I know she thinks I’m a tyrant, but I’m concerned about the impact of social media on kids her age», - she said.
About three years after adopting Naleigh, Katherine and Josh adopted their second daughter, Adelaide, from the United States. She shared that during the time between adopting Naleigh and Adelaide, it became more challenging to adopt children from abroad, but she had the opportunity to adopt Adelaide from an American mother.
As the girls grew up, Katherine explained that she is very open with them about what they know about their biological parents. «They really do have more questions as they grow older. We told them, 'This is your story. We don’t have information about your biological fathers, but we do have a little about your biological mothers. If you want to know more, we are ready to share,'» she added
© Zhinobaeva Margarita
