{"id":538099,"date":"2026-03-13T16:15:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T16:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/538099\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T16:15:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T16:15:21","slug":"katherine-heigl-defends-appearance-at-mar-a-lago-animal-rescue-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/538099\/","title":{"rendered":"Katherine Heigl defends appearance at Mar-A-Lago animal rescue event"},"content":{"rendered":"

Katherine Heigl has come under fire, following an appearance at Donald\ufeff Trump’s exclusive Mar-A-Lago club for the Wine, Women & Shoes annual fundraiser.<\/p>\n

The event, held at the private Palm Beach residence, was the Grey’s Anatomy<\/a> star’s first red-carpet<\/a> showing in over two years.<\/p>\n

Following backlash over her appearance at the charity event, Heigl, 47, has now defended her decision to attend \u2013 saying her intentions were not political, but rather to promote aid for vulnerable animals.<\/a><\/p>\n

Want the official inside scoop on MAFS, unfiltered and unseen? Watch After The Dinner Party here<\/a><\/p>\n

\"KatherineKatherine Heigl has faced backlash from fans, following an appearance at a Mar-A-Lago charity event. (Getty)<\/p>\n

In a statement released to JustJared<\/a>, Heigl pointed out that “animals don’t vote”.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

The Greys Anatomy star went on to reveal that the event had raised over $5 million in support of animals in need \u2013 particularly those that had been abused or neglected.<\/p>\n

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\"OSCARSTune in for Nine.com.au’s live coverage of the 2026 Academy Awards. (Graphic: Tara Blancato)\"katherineMar-A-Lago is Donald Trump’s private club and residence in Palm Beach, Florida. (Nathan Congleton\/NBC via Getty I)<\/p>\n

“This year was a record-breaking success and boosted awareness for Big Dog Ranch Rescue,” founder Lauree Simmons said of the event.<\/p>\n

“It was a heartwarming display of community spirit, uniting style enthusiasts and animal advocates for a truly monumental cause.”<\/p>\n

JustJared shared Heigl’s statement to Instagram<\/a>, resulting in an inundation of comments from disgruntled users.<\/p>\n

Heigl herself took to the comments to directly defend herself against the online barrage, responding to each comment with a scathing clapback.<\/p>\n

\"katherineHeigl has jumped in to defend herself following a barrage of online criticism, responding to comments directly. (Getty)<\/p>\n

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!”\ufeff<\/p>\n

In response, Heigl wrote “Just curious\u2026what do you do that really matters\u2026do 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?”<\/p>\n

“Seriously\u2026I’m very curious what you truly think matters to the voiceless and innocent\u2026actions or just Instagram posturing?”<\/p>\n

Meanwhile other fans appeared to support Heigl’s decision to attend, saying “She\ud83d\udc4f made\ud83d\udc4f a\ud83d\udc4f choice\ud83d\udc4f.”<\/p>\n

“Yes\ud83d\udc4fI did\ud83d\udc4f,” Heigl replied.\ufeff<\/p>\n

Heigl’s slew of responses to the comments appear to have since been deleted.\ufeff<\/p>\n

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