Hayden Panettiere speaks out after an excerpt from an on-camera interview sparked concerns about the actor’s well-being.
“I want to take a moment to address the controversy surrounding a recent interview I did with PEOPLE Magazine,” Panettiere began in the caption of a Sept. 22 Instagram post. “It’s unbelievable that I’m even in this position, but I feel compelled to address it in a place where I won’t be criticized for how fast or slow I speak.”
Panettiere recently sat down with People to talk about her upcoming film, “Amber Alert.” She took part in an eight-hour photo shoot followed by an “on-camera interview that was supposed to be an hour,” she said Sunday.
People posted clips from the interview on social media on September 18. In the comments, fans expressed concern for Panettiere’s health and asked if the actor was sober. Some criticized the interview and People for uploading it to social media, calling it “exploitative.”
In her statement, Panettiere said she was “exhausted” at the end of the interview.
“I hadn’t slept for two days before filming because one of my dogs was recovering from emergency surgery,” she said.
She said her rep “ended the interview early when it became apparent that I was weakening – particularly as the topics became more serious.” In the interview, Panettiere spoke about her daughter as well as the sudden death of her younger brother Jansen Panettiere in February 2023.
A representative for Panettiere said in a statement to TODAY.com: “Your post says it all. It’s time to put this nightmare behind us and hopefully remind others how powerful words can be.”
Apparently responding to comments about her appearance, Panettiere continued, “Grief looks different for everyone.”
“Whether I take medication or not is nobody else’s business and is a matter between me and my doctor,” she said.
She described the “toxicity of social media” and a “news cycle driven by clickbait” as the “real problem.”
“Mental health is so important and I hope those reading this now understand that what you say behind a computer screen can have a detrimental effect on someone. To those of you who have stood by me in the midst of this chaos, I am so grateful. Like I said, I’m not done. We all are,” she concluded.
Panettiere has spoken openly about her experiences with addiction in the past. In 2022, she told People that as she got older, “the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn’t live without.”
In 2018, she sent her daughter Kaya to live with her ex Wladimir Klitschko, calling it “the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.” She later checked into rehab for eight months. By the time of the 2022 interview, she had finally found “peace,” People reported.
“It’s a daily decision, and I’m constantly checking myself,” Panettiere said at the time. “But I’m just so grateful to be part of this world again, and I’ll never take it for granted again.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com.
