Katherine Heigl is returning to 'Grey's Anatomy', but how long is she really staying?

For some fans of Katherine Heigl, the news that she'd be returning to 'Grey's Anatomy' in the fall seemed too good to be true. And now reports are starting to surface speculating just how true this news really is.

A skpetical reader named Krista wrote in to TVGuide.com's Mega Buzz column with this question, "Color me shocked that Katherine Heigl isn't leaving 'Grey's Anatomy'. Is it possible we're being duped in some way?" TVGuide.com senior editor Matt Mitovich confessed to sharing her skepticism in his response. "I must say that the lack of fanfare surrounding ABC's confirmation of Heigl's status - when juxtaposed with the flurry of official statements regarding T.R. Knight's departure - made me raise one of my overgrown eyebrows." Mitovich does go on to add that a reliable source has confirmed to him that no mind games are being played, and that Heigl "will have a significant presence in the fall," but the words "significant presence" don't necessarily add up to a confirmation that Heigl is coming back as a full-time series regular.

Another factor casting doubt on Heigl's status is this report from Variety that she's set to produce and star in the new romantic drama 'Life as We Know It'.  Variety has no information on when production on 'Life' will begin or if it will conflict with the 'Grey's' shooting schedule, but the news makes it clear that Heigl is still very much committed to her budding film career.

Given the nature of the gossip-loving Internet, it's not shocking that confirmation of Knight's departure and Heigl's pick-up came months before fans got a chance to see how Shonda Rhimes would resolve the cliffhanger of their potential deaths on  the show. But given Rhimes' hatred of spoilers, it also wouldn't be too surprising if one of these announcements was meant to mislead the fans, and give the show back its ability to surprise the audience. For now, it appears safe to assume that Izzie will survive her flatline from the season finale. But don't be too surprised if she faces another medical crisis sometime in the near future, either.

For more of the latest news on  Katherine Heigl, check out Report: Katherine Heigl is sticking with 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Grey's Anatomy' stars get Emmy endorsement from Huffington Post blogger.

Photo: ABC