Katherine Heigl has defended her decision to attend a dog charity event at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago. The former Grey’s Anatomy actor returned to the red carpet after two years this weekend, but faced backlash for it. In response, she said: “Animals don’t vote.”
Katherine Heigl made a controversial return to the red carpet
After being absent from the celebrity scene for a couple of years, Katherine attended the annual Wine, Women & Shoes fundraiser on March 8. The charity event was held at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, with the president’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, as co-chair.
Some fans were happy to see Katherine on the red carpet again, while others were disheartened by her choice of venue. “There are so many amazing rescues to align yourself with that aren’t hosting events there,” one person said on Instagram.
“She made a choice,” someone else said, while another argued: “This is about the ANIMALS!! Not politics.”
In response, Katherine said in a statement: “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,” she added, per Page Six. “They are completely at the mercy of us, and they have no voice of their own.”
“As a society, we should all come together to protect the voiceless and the innocent,” she continued. “This should not be a polarizing issue.”
In her statement, Katherine also pointed out that the event at Mar-a-Lago raised over $5 million for animals in need.
Katherine’s passion for animals should come as no surprise. She and her mother, Nancy – who accompanied her at the event – have spent years advocating for animals through the Jason Heigl Foundation.
TELL US – DOES IT MATTER WHAT VENUE A CHARITY HOLDS THEIR EVENT AT? AND, IS KATHERINE’S RESPONSE TO THE BACKLASH FAIR?
