Although her children may sometimes wish they lived in a busier place, Katherine Heigl is adamant that residing outside of the Hollywood bubble — and, more specifically, in a small Utah town — is “the right choice” for her family.
“I think my children sometimes wish they were in more of a hubbub-y exciting city,” the “Firefly Lane” star said on a recent episode of “Today with Hoda & Jenna.” “But I said to them, ‘I understand that you are sacrificing that in some ways but I still think it was the right choice for us as a family because I am more centered and aware of what’s going on in your life.’
“‘It’s a smaller town, I know who your friends are, I know who you are spending time with, I know what’s up with school,’” she continued. “It’s just easier to keep my finger on the pulse.”
How Katherine Heigl ended up in Utah
Heigl was just a teenager out of high school when she moved to the Los Angeles area. The “27 Dresses” star ended up living there for two decades, and she had the support of her mother every step of the way — something she recognizes isn’t the norm.
“My mom literally gave up every other part of her life to come and to support me and be my hammer,” Heigl told “Today.” “And as a young woman in Hollywood, it’s very difficult to be your own hammer. So having that and having somebody be the bad guy and lay the law down and protect me in my best interest was huge.
“I don’t know who I would be if I had gone alone and I don’t know what would have happened if I had gone alone or how much I would have compromised.”
After several years of hustling in Hollywood, Heigl told “Today” it was her mother who helped her realize that she needed “somewhere to escape to.” A place that could ground her, and help her clear her head.
Heigl, who was raised as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, landed on Utah. Initially, it was supposed to be more of a vacation spot. But she said she “started spending more and more time there.” And then her husband, musician Josh Kelley, made it his primary residence on his driver’s license.
“Yeah, I think this is our primary residence. We live here now,’” the actress recalled thinking during the “Today” segment.
How long has Katherine Heigl lived in Utah?
Heigl and her husband — who is the older brother of Lady A singer Charles Kelley — married in Park City, Utah, in 2007 and have lived in Summit County for the past 13 years, the Deseret News previously reported.
The actress, who has three kids who range in age from 6 to 14, has previously said leaving Hollywood for a slower-pace life in a small Utah community was a good decision for her family.
“I didn’t know how to raise them in L.A.,” she previously told E! News. “So I felt like I could do it here. I could be more on top of things that scare me and I could be more on top of the kinds of friends they have and places they’re going, the kind of activities they’re involved in.”
The Emmy Award-winning actress has been a prominent animal rights activist in Utah. Earlier this year, she vocally supported legislation to end the gas chamber as a form of euthanasia in animal shelters, the Deseret News reported. In 2021, she advocated for the Onaqui wild horses, fighting against a planned roundup, per Deseret News.