Katherine Heigl Addresses Backlash From Fans After Attending Pet Charity Event At Mar-A-Lago

Katherine Heigl's career has been ridden with scandal ever since allegations about her conduct on the set of Grey's Anatomy back in the 2000s.

But in later years she had amassed a great deal of goodwill by owning up to her behavior and also speaking openly about the often sexist ways the scandal was talked about at the time.

Well, consider that goodwill erased. Heigl was photographed at an event at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, and now all bets are off in many people's eyes.

Heigl has addressed the controversy after the viral backlash, but a lot of people aren't buying it.

The flap began after Heigl was photographed at the Wine, Women & Shoes event at Mar-a-Lago, an annual shindig to raise funds for Florida's Big Dog Ranch Rescue, the nation's largest no-kill dog shelter.

Seeing Heigl on a red carpet is news these days, as the star tends to keep a low profile. But that it was a red carpet at Trump's residence drew swift backlash.

People were furious that Heigl, who has espoused liberal views in the past, would turn up at the president's residence, and many accused her of being "desperate" for money and exposure.

And of course her past controversies came back to bite, with many saying we should have never forgiven her for her Grey's Anatomy scandals.

Heigl swiftly showed up in the comments of Instagram posts about it to defend herself, saying that her focus was on the cause of animal rights, not politics.

@katherineheigl/Instagram

In a statement to website JustJared, Heigl said:

" Animals don't vote. The only room they don't like is the euthanasia room at a shelter. They are completely at the mercy of us, and they have no voice of their own."

"This event was about animal advocacy — something that has always been deeply personal to me... Anyone who knows me knows that protecting animals is one of my greatest passions."

Which is all fair enough, and a few applauded her for putting issues above politics.

@sumookes/Instagram

But even many of those who sympathized thought she made a mistake.

@sixsixmitch/Instagram

@deer.trod.hearthmaking/Instagram

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But most people seemed to find her explanation empty and beside the point.

Perhaps Heigl's motivations were entirely mission-based, but any appearance at Mar-a-Lago lends legitimacy to the regime. Celebrities in the public eye, who know how the optics of a public appearance works, should probably take note of that.