Katherine Heigl files defamation lawsuit against California dog rescue organisation
Accusing it of spreading false claims and damaging her foundation’s reputation, actress Katherine Heigl has filed a defamation lawsuit against a California dog rescue organisation.
Katherine Heigl has filed a defamation lawsuit against a California dog rescue organisation, accusing it of spreading false claims and damaging her foundation’s reputation.
The actress, 45, and her mother, Nancy Heigl, 76, lodged the complaint on Wednesday against The Pitty Committee and its owner, Alyssa Deetman, in a California court, court papers show.
They allege Deetman falsely accused their charity, the Jason Heigl Foundation (JHF), of mistreating rescue dogs and withholding funds, despite previously praising their work.
The Heigls, who founded JHF in memory of Katherine’s late brother, Jason, had entered into an agreement with The Pitty Committee (TPC) in January 2023.
Under the deal, JHF would provide monthly donations in return for TPC rescuing a set number of dogs of JHF’s choosing.
But according to the complaint, Deetman viewed these contributions as a “blank cheque” and requested additional funds outside of the agreement.
JHF claims it upheld its financial commitments, while TPC failed to meet its rescue obligations and ignored multiple requests for transparency.
In January 2024, one year after the contract began, JHF opted not to renew the partnership due to concerns over financial and operational transparency.
The complaint states: “In response … Deetman engaged in an online smear campaign against JHF and the Heigls.
“Deetman made false, defamatory, and derogatory accusations that JHF and the Heigls have mistreated rescue dogs, failed to provide promised funding, and stole from TPC, all in an effort to ruin JHF and the Heigl’s reputation and/or coerce some sort of monetary payout.”
The legal filing includes a screenshot of a TikTok post from TPC’s account, in which Deetman wrote: “The Jason Heigl Foundation is a scam. Another celebrity phony who uses animal advocacy as a shield.”
She also accused the foundation of keeping dogs in “tiny kennels where they are forgotten about.”
Despite the public allegations, the complaint states Deetman had privately praised the Heigls and JHF on the same day as her online posts.
JHF claims that in private conversations, Deetman “understood that JHF did not owe her or TPC any money under the terms of the agreement” and had acknowledged her own financial mismanagement.
The lawsuit accuses Deetman and TPC of defamation, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, and breach of contract.
The Heigls are seeking a jury trial.
