Katherine Heigl has come under fire, following an appearance at Donald Trump's exclusive Mar-A-Lago club for the Wine, Women & Shoes annual fundraiser.
The event, held at the private Palm Beach residence, was the Grey's Anatomy star's first red-carpet showing in over two years.
Following backlash over her appearance at the charity event, Heigl, 47, has now defended her decision to attend – saying her intentions were not political, but rather to promote aid for vulnerable animals.
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In a statement released to JustJared, Heigl pointed out that "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," she continued.
"As a society, we should all come together to protect the voiceless and the innocent. This should not be a polarising issue. Thanks to the incredible generosity of everyone involved."
The Greys Anatomy star went on to reveal that the event had raised over $5 million in support of animals in need – particularly those that had been abused or neglected.
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"This year was a record-breaking success and boosted awareness for Big Dog Ranch Rescue," founder Lauree Simmons said of the event.
"It was a heartwarming display of community spirit, uniting style enthusiasts and animal advocates for a truly monumental cause."
JustJared shared Heigl's statement to Instagram, resulting in an inundation of comments from disgruntled users.
Heigl herself took to the comments to directly defend herself against the online barrage, responding to each comment with a scathing clapback.
One user in particular called out Heigl's "animals don't vote" sentiment, writing "no, but if they did they would have better judgement than you!"
In response, Heigl wrote "Just curious…what do you do that really matters…do you think comments on an Instagram post matter to animals who have had humans pour gasoline on them and set them on fire? Who have had humans vote conservative or liberal but have been left to starve and suffer?"
"Seriously…I'm very curious what you truly think matters to the voiceless and innocent…actions or just Instagram posturing?"
Meanwhile other fans appeared to support Heigl's decision to attend, saying "She👏 made👏 a👏 choice👏."
"Yes👏I did👏," Heigl replied.
Heigl's slew of responses to the comments appear to have since been deleted.
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Title: 'Animals don't vote': Katherine Heigl defends appearance at Mar-A-Lago rescue event
Sourced From: celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/katherine-heigl-maralago-animal-rescue-controversy/3c233508-55cc-4713-99cc-923eb67a6d07
Published Date: Fri, 13 Mar 2026 02:03:00 GMT
