‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Katherine Heigl's Unpaid Services Court Battle Pivots To Smear Campaign Claims

Katherine Heigl is being accused of waging a smear campaign amid an ongoing legal battle tied to her nonprofit foundation.

The star and her mother, Nancy Heigl, are being dragged to court by a former collaborator who says she is owedfor services tied to the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation, which Katherine launched in 2008 to help rescue shelter animals.

The dispute reportedly began after the woman claimed she was never paid for her work and now says Katherine Heigl tried to damage her reputation instead of settling the debt.

Alyssa Faith Deetman, who works in animal rescue, fired back in court against a lawsuit filed by the Heigls. She accused the women of retaliation after she sought reimbursement for what she says was $350,000 in unpaid expenses tied to rescue efforts.

Alyssa called the lawsuit against her "plainly retaliatory" and part of a "continuing effort to discredit" her after she pushed for payment and went public with her side of the story.

She claimed her social media posts about the situation were based on "truthful and well-documented facts" and were made only after she suffered ongoing damage to her reputation, allegedly caused by false statements from Katherine and Nancy.

"Her decision to publicly defend herself was made only after sustained reputational harm and falsehoods disseminated by plaintiffs. Her speech was not only protected, it was necessary to correct the record," Alyssa's statement read. 

In Touch reports that Alyssa alleged the Heigls' actions damaged her reputation in the community. In her words:

"Following my requests for reimbursement, plaintiffs began making negative and false statements about me to others in the rescue community, which statements made their way online through third parties, in what I experienced as a smear campaign. I remained silent for a long period despite the escalating reputational harm."

In April, The Blast reported that Alyssa began collaborating with the Heigls' Jason Debus Heigl Foundation in 2023, with the understanding that the foundation would cover major costs like veterinary care and training for rescue dogs. 

But Alyssa claimed Nancy never planned to follow through, leaving her rescue, The Pitty Committee, holding the bill. She said her organization racked up nearly $350,000 in unpaid expenses based on promises from the Heigls, and that the situation hurt her rescue's reputation and ability to raise funds.

While Alyssa alleged financial fallout, Katherine and Nancy argued they had personally invested more than $8 million into their foundation. They reportedly claimed that the foundation works alongside other nonprofits to provide critical support for shelter animals, including medical treatment and ongoing care.

Alyssa also claimed she was emotionally harmed and financially drained by the organization's alleged false promises. In her legal filing, she also accused the nonprofit of using underfunded and less experienced rescues like hers to boost their public image without following through on financial support.

Alyssa alleged that the foundation approached small rescues to take in dogs from shelters under the promise that all expenses would be covered. She said these collaborations benefited the Heigls' brand visibility, including their foundation and pet food business, while leaving smaller rescues to foot the bill.

She pointed to one case where a $15,000 vet bill was only partially reimbursed, with Katherine's mother, Nancy, allegedly offering just $800. 

The actress and her mother filed a lawsuit against Alyssa on March 5, accusing her of defamation, breach of contract, and interference with potential donors. The case stemmed from a 2022 partnership between the Heigls' Jason Debus Heigl Foundation and Alyssa's nonprofit, The Pitty Committee. 

The agreement reportedly involved the Foundation providing monthly payments to support Alyssa's rescue efforts, on the condition that she took in a set number of at-risk dogs selected by the Heigl team.  

Katherine claimed the Foundation followed through on its end, contributing over six figures to The Pitty Committee. However, she claims the relationship soured when Alyssa allegedly treated the donations as if they were unlimited and failed to uphold her side of the deal.

The lawsuit accused Alyssa of poor financial handling and of repeatedly requesting additional funds, even after the contract had ended in January 2024. 

The mother-daughter duo also accused Alyssa of pushing for a forced financial payout after their nonprofit decided not to renew its partnership with her rescue group.

They claimed she launched an online smear campaign against their foundations and the Heigls, driven by financial motives. The lawsuit alleged that Alyssa made false accusations that the Foundation mistreated rescue dogs, withheld promised funding, and stole from her organization.

Katherine and Nancy stated these claims were intended to damage their reputations and pressure them into paying money she was not owed. 

The lawsuit also stated that Alyssa rejected multiple requests to remove her false statements, leaving Katherine and her mother no choice but to seek legal action to protect their name and demand the posts be taken down.

With both sides standing firm, this legal fight is shaping up to be a high-stakes clash in court.