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After a recent interview sparked speculation about Hayden Panettiere’s health, the actress said she felt “compelled” to make a statement. People Cover story, Panettiere sat down with the outlet to promote her upcoming thriller, Amber Alert. The interview got personal when the 35-year-old was asked about the sudden death of her younger brother Jansen in 2023 and her mental health struggles after losing custody of her daughter Kaya. After a video clip of the interview was released last week, fans speculated that Panettiere, who has struggled with drug use in the past, had relapsed after commenters pointed out her “slurred speech,” according to the Daily MailBut in an Instagram post on Sunday, Panettiere dismissed those rumors, insisting that she simply hadn’t been getting enough sleep.
“I would like to take a moment to address the controversy surrounding an interview I recently conducted with People Magazine,” she wrote. “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.”
“I hadn’t slept for two days before the shoot because one of my dogs was recovering from emergency surgery. It was an 8-hour shoot followed by an on-camera interview that was supposed to last an hour,” she continued. “I was exhausted. My rep cut the interview short when it became obvious that I was getting weaker – especially as the subject matter became more serious.”
Panettiere claims her team asked if they could repeat the interview on another day or do a follow-up interview over Zoom to accommodate her physical condition that day. The writer, Panettiere says, assured her that the interview was “emotional and heartfelt” and that it would be edited into a “beautiful piece,” adding, “The magazine does not give approval for images or video interviews before they are published.”
“Grief looks different for everyone,” Panettiere continued. “Whether or not I take medication is nobody’s business and is a matter between me and my doctor,” she added. “The real issue here is the toxicity of social media and a news cycle fueled by clickbait… Like I said, I’m a work in progress. We all are.”
After the birth of her daughter Kaya in 2014 Nashville The actress publicly battled postpartum depression and finally checked herself into a treatment center in Utah in 2016. We weekly. Later she opened up to Red Table Discussion about her decades-long struggle with substance abuse and losing custody of her daughter to her ex Wladimir Klitschko in 2018, “partly against her will.” She later went to rehab and in February 2023, at age 28, she lost her brother to an undiagnosed heart condition. “He was my only sibling, and he was my younger sibling, and it was my job to protect him,” she said People“When I lost him, it felt like I had lost half my soul.”
Right now, Panettiere says, she is focusing on her mental health. “I am so grateful to those of you who have stood by me through this chaos.”
