NEED TO KNOW
Katherine Heigl would like to have a word with the person who “designed” perimenopause.
The Grey’s Anatomy alum, 46, spoke with Business Insider and shared that she’s been going through perimenopause, which, according to The Mayo Clinic, refers to the time during which a woman’s body makes the natural transition to menopause.
“Whoever designed it so that women would be going through perimenopause while raising teenagers should be sent a strongly worded letter,” teased Heigl, who shares daughters Naleigh, 15, and Adalaide, 13, as well as son Joshua, 8, with her husband Josh Kelley.
“It’s really difficult. Their hormones are all over the place, they’re trying to adapt and get used to their new bodies and their new ways of thinking, and I am too,” Heigl says. “So the only thing I can do is look at them and go, ‘Well, at least we’re in it together.'”
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In September 2023, Heigl appeared on an episode of Today with Hoda & Jenna and chatted with co-hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager about raising her kids in Utah. She also reflected on the support she received from her own mother while coming up in Hollywood.
“She took time away from her beautiful ranch in Utah to come hang out with us today,” Bush Hager began, referring to Heigl.
“People might see you and think, ‘I bet you live in Hollywood, where most people live in your profession.’ But I love where you lay down your life,” Kotb told Heigl. “Yes, me too,” Heigl said.
“What made you decide to do that? And what do you get out of it?” Kotb asked.
“You know, it’s odd. I think some people are mountain people and I think some people are beach people,” said Heigl. “I’m sort of a mountain person and have always been that way. And my mom realized, because we went out to L.A. when I was 17 and hustled and hustled for years, right? And I think she realized at a certain point that I needed somewhere to escape to and kind of clear my head and that grounded me.”
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“So we started trying to find, and dreaming about trying to find, that perfect place. And we found Utah and then I started making enough money to be able to afford to that.”
“And we built these houses in Utah that we expected to be more kind of vacation homes, or when I could get away from the hustle and all the work. And we just started spending more and more time there. And it was my husband who finally made it his primary residence on his driver’s license and stuff. And we went. ‘Yeah, I think this is our primary residence. We live here now,’ ” the actress told Kotb and Bush Hager.
