Hayden Panettiere has responded to fan concerns after an on-camera interview with People magazine raised fears about her health.
People magazine published an “emotional exclusive interview” with the 35-year-old Heroes star last week in which she spoke about the heartbreaking loss of her younger brother, Jansen, who died in 2023 from an undiagnosed heart condition.
Fans expressed concern that Panettiere had relapsed into depression in response to the interview: in 2016, she was hospitalized for postpartum depression after giving birth to her daughter, Kaya, and in 2018, she struggled with substance abuse and lost custody of her. She revealed in a 2022 interview on Red Table Talk that she had been receiving treatment for opioid and alcohol addiction when Kaya moved to Ukraine to live with her father, boxing legend Wladimir Klitschko.
A few days after the People furore, Panettiere took to Instagram to address her slurred speech and speculation about her health.
“I can’t believe I’m even in this position, but I feel compelled to speak about this in a place where I won’t be judged for speaking too fast or too slow,” Panettiere said, claiming that she had been unable to sleep two days before the People interview “because one of my dogs is recovering from emergency surgery.”
Panettiere said the interview “started off well,” but that she was “exhausted” and that “it became apparent that I was beginning to decline, especially as the topics became heavier, so my rep stopped the interview early.”
“Everyone expresses grief differently,” she added. “Whether I’m on medication or not has nothing to do with anyone, it’s between me and my doctor. The real issue here is the toxicity of social media and a news cycle driven by clickbait. Mental health is so important and I hope people reading this understand that what you say hiding behind a computer screen can have a harmful impact on someone.”
Panettiere ended with a message to her supporters.
“I really appreciate everyone who has defended me through this turmoil. Like I said before, I’m still growing, and so are we all. – Hayden.”
Her new movie, “Amber Alert,” opens this week.
