- Katherine Heigl said she used to worry that her adopted daughter, Naleigh, didn't love her.
- The "Grey's Anatomy" actor and her husband adopted their daughter, now 13, from South Korea in 2009.
$4 says she used to worry her daughter didn't love her because of how quickly she returned to work after her adoption.
$4 and her husband Josh Kelley, a singer, welcomed their daughter, Naleigh, into their home in 2009. They did so after undergoing an adoption process that lasted nine months, $4 reported following her recent appearance on ABC's "The View." Their daughter came to the US after being born in South Korea.
However, three days after Naleigh arrived at their home, Heigl said she had to leave to work on a project in Atlanta, Georgia. Despite being optimistic about balancing her career and motherhood, she said she was concerned she and her daughter hadn't developed enough of a relationship before she returned to work.
"I never saw that baby," Heigl said of Naleigh's early days in her home. "I was at work with three triplets who were playing my goddaughter, and I spent more time with them than I did with my new daughter."
What ended up happening is that Naleigh got closer to Kelley, who she was able to spend more time with since Heigl was working, she said. "I was always afraid that I had missed that opportunity to really bond with her and that she didn't love me," Heigl added.
Since bringing Naleigh, who is now 13, into their homes, Heigl and Kelley have gone on to have two more children. $4, the couple welcomed their daughter Adelaide via adoption in 2012 and their son Joshua by birth in 2017.
The couple also share photos of their family at home at their ranch in Utah from time to time. Most recently in September, $4, their children, and one of their dogs.
Speaking $4 in 2017, Heigl said she and her husband decided to leave Los Angeles for Utah to get some peace and quiet with their kids.
"Our time is centered around being home and being together," she said. "It's grounded. I think we just appreciate the quietness of this lifestyle. There is just more time for each other."