Katherine Heigl Raised in Surprising Religion— "I Was Raised to Believe Family Comes First"

The religious beliefs of Hollywood stars can be a hot-button topic. For most people, religious beliefs are something personal and, while not usually hidden, not always fodder for public discourse.

But when you're a celebrity, people want to know everything about you, including what religion you follow.

When Grey's Anatomy star Katherine Heigl made her return to the red carpet in March 2026 for the first time in years, it was on a surprising stage: a fundraising gala at President Donald Trump's golf resort, Mar-a-Lago. Her presence among right-wing influencers and politicians raised some questions about what the actor believes, considering the strong religious convictions among those she chose to make an appearance alongside.

Those questions include: What religion was she raised in, and what religion does she follow? Here's what we know.

In Grey's Anatomy, Katherine plays Izzie Stevens. Season 3, Episode 20 reveals that Izzie is portrayed as Catholic, although she often puts aside her beliefs to care for patients, even when their beliefs may not align. And, of course, there was that whole affair arc that contradicted religious convictions.

So, is Katherine herself Catholic?

No, she's not.

Katherine does not appear to practice a religion as an adult. However, echoes of her childhood religion still influence her thinking even now that she's stepped away from practicing.

In a 2008 interview with Vanity Fair, she talked about how she pushed her then-boyfriend Josh Kelley to propose, tired of waiting. "I’m not really a first-move kind of gal," she explained. "I’m one of those women who always thinks it’s better to play it cool and keep them wanting more, but I really threw myself at him. I broke all the rules.”

Being engaged, she explained, was important to her on a visceral level. She told the outlet, "I think what it came down to was tradition — honoring our parents, honoring their history, taking it seriously. I also didn’t want to live together before we were married. I still have enough Mormon in me — not a lot, but enough — that I wanted to keep that a little bit sacred.”

However, while she was raised Mormon, she does not practice it herself, at least openly.

In 1986, Katherine's brother Josh died in an accident, and the tragedy pushed her family to seek comfort in religion, specifically, Mormonism.

She told Vanity Fair, "Both my parents felt a great desire for answers, and they found an answer in the Mormon church — or answers they could live with, anyway, because there really are none. I give my parents unbelievable credit for pulling it together, and I give the Mormon church a lot of credit for helping them to do that.”

Yet, despite the comfort that her parents found in the religion, it doesn't seem to be in the cards for Katherine. For most of the 2010s, she stepped away from non-stop acting to focus on her family, and building her personal life. In 2020, she started returning, but still keeps her personal life pretty tightly under wraps.