Sixteen years ago, a little girl born in South Korea spent her first month in an orphanage, unwanted and unseen. Then Katherine Heigl, at the height of her Hollywood fame, chose to adopt her, and the baby left a crowded crib for a luxurious Los Angeles home with one of television’s biggest stars. What followed was a journey that tested Heigl as much as it transformed the child now known as Nancy Leigh Kelley. Katherine Heigl was born on November 24th, 1978, in Washington, D.
C. , the youngest of five children in a working-class family. Her father, Paul, worked as an accountant, while her mother, Nancy, would later become her manager. When Katherine was eight, tragedy struck: her 15-year-old brother, Jason, died instantly after being thrown from the back of a pickup truck.
In the wake of that loss, the Heigls donated Jason’s organs, a decision that would influence Katherine’s later advocacy, and the family converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, finding comfort in faith. Katherine began working as a child model at age nine, earning $75 an hour in catalogs and commercials. At 15, she dropped out of high school and moved to Los Angeles with her mother to pursue acting. After early rejections and small apartments, she landed a three-season role on the cult hit *Roswell* in 1999.
In 2005, she joined *Grey’s Anatomy* as Dr. Izzie Stevens, a role that made her a global star. Her performance, particularly in the heartbreaking storyline where Izzie falls in love with a dying patient, earned her the 2007 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. When her name was called, she jumped up and shouted, “Shit!
” on live television, a raw moment that made headlines worldwide. Her salary climbed, and she starred in the 2007 hit comedy *Knocked Up* alongside Seth Rogen, which grossed over $148 million worldwide. Just as her career peaked, the cracks began to show. In 2007, Heigl gave an interview to *Vanity Fair* in which she criticized *Knocked Up*, calling it “a little sexist” and saying her character was “kind of a doormat.
” Director Judd Apatow later said on *Howard Stern*, “I was really confused by it. ” Rogen called the comments hypocritical, especially after her next film, *The Ugly Truth*. The backlash was swift, and the media began labeling her difficult and ungrateful. The following year, Heigl withdrew her name from Emmy consideration for *Grey’s Anatomy*, stating she did not feel she had been given material worthy of a nomination.
Shonda Rhimes, the show’s creator, was deeply hurt, later telling Oprah, “When people show you who they are, believe them. ” Offers slowed down, and Heigl later admitted the toll it took, revealing in a 2016 interview with Howard Stern that she had gone to therapy to cope with the stress of her difficult reputation. She expressed regret for some of her words but acknowledged the damage was done. While her career hit turbulence, her personal life was quietly thriving.
In 2005, she met musician Josh Kelley on the set of one of his music videos. They married in a private ceremony in Park City, Utah, in 2007, having chosen not to live together before marriage. As she later explained, “I wanted to keep something special just for marriage. ”
Adoption had been on her mind long before she met Josh.
Her sister Meg was adopted from Korea three years before Katherine was born. “I wanted my own family to resemble the one I came from,” she told *Scholastic Parent and Child*. “So, I always knew I wanted to adopt from Korea. ”
In 2009, they received a referral for a baby girl born the day before Katherine’s own birthday.
The infant had a congenital heart defect that had already been corrected through open-heart surgery. Katherine recalled the moment vividly, saying they told officials, “Look, we want her. ” Josh’s father, a heart surgeon, reviewed the medical records and gave them honest guidance, but their decision never wavered. “We were definitely doing it,” she said.
“She has a perfectly healthy heart. ”
They named her Nancy Leigh Kelley, after Katherine’s mother and in memory of her late brother Jason. The first months home were challenging. Nancy bonded quickly with Josh but seemed distant from Katherine.
Katherine was heartbroken, admitting, “I had spent my whole life being loved by millions of strangers, but my own daughter didn’t seem to choose me. ” Their social worker reassured her this was normal for adopted children and urged patience. The turning point came in 2012, when Nancy ran up to Katherine on *The View* and hugged her tightly. “That hug meant everything,” Katherine later shared.
In 2012, the family grew again with the domestic adoption of their second daughter, Adelaide, from Louisiana. In 2016, at age 39, Katherine gave birth to their son, Joshua, their first biological child. He was born via C-section after being in breech position and needed oxygen briefly after delivery. “This was our first time going through this,” she reflected.
“It’s exciting and super new. ”
Motherhood proved overwhelming at times. Katherine spoke openly about anxiety attacks and stress-related back issues. “People will tell you how hard it is, but you have no idea until you experience it,” she admitted to *Parents* magazine.
After three children, she and Josh decided their family felt complete, a view cemented by the COVID-19 pandemic. “I am very content with my three,” she said. The family eventually traded Los Angeles for a ranch outside Park City, Utah, seeking a quieter, more grounded life away from Hollywood. Now 16, Nancy Leigh Kelley has grown into a thoughtful young woman.
She is the oldest of three siblings, a big sister to Adelaide and Joshua. Katherine has intentionally limited Nancy’s exposure to phones and social media, wanting her to grow up present and grounded rather than performing for the world. Nancy does not have public social media accounts and lives a low-key life focused on school and family. She has embraced her Korean heritage, with Katherine ensuring she understands her roots while feeling fully part of the family she was chosen to join.
Katherine’s greatest hope for her children is that they feel secure in their identity and loved without conditions. For Nancy, the journey has been especially meaningful. The little girl who once waited in an orphanage now stands as a young woman who knows she belongs.
