Ellen Pompeo Backs Katherine Heigl's Claims About Grey's Anatomy Work Environment: She Was 'Ballsy'

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Ellen Pompeo agrees with Katherine Heigl.

The actress, 52, backed her former Grey's Anatomy costar's comments about the long and grueling hours for filming the long-running ABC medical drama during the latest episode of her Tell Me podcast.

Joined by another Grey's Anatomy alum, Kate Walsh — who is set to return to the series for another guest arc in the show's current season — Pompeo and Walsh, 54, discussed comments that Heigl, 43, made over a decade ago about working on the series.

"I remember Heigl said something on a talk show about the insane hours we were working and she was 100 percent right," Pompeo said Wednesday. "And had she said that today, she'd be a complete hero. But she's ahead of her time, made a statement about our crazy hours and of course, [it was like] let's slam a woman and call her ungrateful."

Added Pompeo: "When the truth is, she's 100 percent honest and it's absolutely correct what she said. She was f------ ballsy for saying it — she was telling the truth. She wasn't lying!"

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Heigl's comments about the long hours on the Grey's Anatomy set were made during a 2009 episode of The Late Show with David Letterman. At the time, the medical series was in its sixth season.

"I'm gonna keep saying this 'cause I hope it embarrasses them," the 27 Dresses star shared during her appearance, explaining how a typical workday for stars was 17 hours, which she described as being "cruel and mean."

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On Tell Me, Walsh said she supported Pompeo's backing of Heigl. "There's nothing natural about [the filming process]," she said. "There's nothing human about it."

"It's made for a machine, it's as if we're a camera or a mic that just goes and goes and goes," Walsh added. "And it's not conducive to any kind of healthy habits."

Grey's Anatomy — which airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC — returns to television May 5.