Katherine Heigl confirms with Entertainment Weekly that she is leaving Grey’s Anatomy. The 31-year-old actress reveals that it was family issues, not her busy film career, that prompted her to ask to be let out of her contract 18 months early.

On leaving the show: “I am done. We just finalized our agreement. Everyone had been working really hard to find an amicable and gracious way of letting go and moving on. It’s sad but it’s what I wanted.”

On choosing family over Grey’s: “I started a family and it changed everything for me,” says Katherine, who took a 3-month leave from Grey’s this season to bond with her newly-adopted daughter. “It changed my desire to work full-time.”

ABC Studios issued the following statement: “By mutual agreement, Katherine Heigl has ended her successful run as Dr. Isobel Stevens. The studio wishes her well. Everyone at Grey’s Anatomy is now focused on delivering a shocking season finale and a great show for seasons to come.”