Katherine Heigl nahm an einer Wohltätigkeitsveranstaltung für Hunde im Mar-a-Lago-Resort von Donald Trump teil, was wegen des Ortes zu Kritik führte. Die Schauspielerin reagierte, indem sie den Fokus der Veranstaltung auf Tierschutz betonte. Sie erklärte, dass Tiere nicht wählen, und rief zu Einheit beim Schutz der Stimmlosen auf.
Katherine Heigl trat nach zwei Jahren erstmals wieder auf einem roten Teppich auf, bei der jährlichen Spendengala Wine, Women & Shoes am 8. März in Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. Die Veranstaltung, die von Lara Trump, der Schwiegertochter von Donald Trump, mit organisiert wurde, unterstützte den Tierschutz und sammelte 5,5 Millionen Dollar für Big Dog Ranch Rescue ein, das als größtes No-Kill-Hunderettungszentrum des Landes gilt. Social media users criticized Heigl's attendance, associating the Mar-a-Lago venue with support for the MAGA movement. In a statement to outlets including Page Six and JustJared, Heigl addressed the outrage: „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 added, „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. My mother, Nancy, and I have spent years advocating for animals through the Jason Heigl Foundation. As a society, we should all come together to protect the voiceless and the innocent. This should not be a polarizing issue.“ Heigl also engaged directly with critics on Instagram. Responding to a user who said animals would have better judgment than her if they voted, 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?“ To another commenter suggesting alternative ways to help without attending such events, Heigl replied: „How are you so sure about that…have you been to any? Have you donated a significant part of your income to anything? Anything you claim to care so much about? Have you done anything more than comment on what someone else is doing or not doing to your standard? Just curious…“ Heigl, an Emmy winner for her role in „Grey’s Anatomy“, has maintained a lower profile since her Netflix series „Firefly Lane“ ended in April 2023.
