Credit: @haydenpanettiere/Instagram
Hayden Panettiere Has Come Out
Hayden Panettiere has publicly come out as bisexual in a heartfelt interview, in which she revealed she feared people would think she was ‘jumping on the bandwagon’.
The actress, who is best known for her roles as Claire Bennet in Heroes, Kirby Reed in Scream and Juliette Barnes in Nashville, said she waited until the age of 36 to reveal her true sexuality because she never felt like she was ‘encouraged to be herself.’
The child star, who first appeared on TV during a commercial in 1990 when she was a mere 11 months old, began her full time acting career in 1994, when she played Sarah Roberts in ABC’s One Life to Live.
Her first movie role came in 1998 when she voiced Dot in Disney Pixar’s A Bug’s Life, for which she was nominated for a Young Artist Award and a Grammy Award, which incidentally made her the fifth youngest person ever nominated for a Grammy, at the tender age of 8.
A tough few years for Hayden Panettiere and her family
It has undoubtedly been a tough couple of years for Panettiere and her family after the tragic death of her younger brother Jansen Panettiere, who passed away at the age of 28 in February 2024.
Orangetown Police Department were called to Jansen’s home on February 19, 2024, to reports of an ‘unresponsive male with CPR in progress.’ Sadly he was pronounced dead later the same day.
His family issued an emotional statement in which they said his ‘heart could be seen in his eyes, and his charm in his brilliant, engaging smile; his soul in his masterful and revealing paintings, and the joy of life in his dry wit.’
“His charisma, warmth, compassion for others and his creative spirit will live forever in our hearts and in the hearts of all whom he encountered,” they continued.
The family then chose to publicly share the cause of death, which was found to be cardiomegaly, a condition which refers to having an enlarged heart, as well as aortic valve complications.
“We sincerely appreciate the outpouring of love and support towards our family as we navigate this unthinkable loss, and ask that we be gifted our privacy during this time of mourning,” they said.
“We love you so much Jansen and you will be in our hearts forever.”
Drug addiction and giving up custody of her daughter
Following her split from ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko in 2018, Panettiere went into rehab on a number of different occasions to help support her recovery from postpartum depression and drug and alcohol addiction.
During this time, she signed over full custody of her daughter to the former Ukrainian boxer, which she described as ‘one of the worst days of her life,’ but noted it was important to put her daughter’s needs first.
Now, the actress has spoken about her wonderful relationship with her ex, who she shares a ‘deep friendship’ with, having first met him when she was just 19.
“To see that we still have this bond and the ability to co-parent and show our daughter that even though we’re not together, doesn’t mean that there’s a lack of love here, and it doesn’t mean that you’re unsafe,” she said.
Hayden Panettiere shared her sexuality ahead of her memoir
Panettiere made the revelation regarding her sexuality during an interview with US Weekly, ahead of the release of her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, which is coming out on May 12.
“No one ever encouraged me to just be myself, and then it came, the period of time, where it felt like people coming out, especially women coming out, and saying that they were bisexual, or liked girls, was a fad,” she said.
“And once again, it was always the fear of not being perfect, and what my team was going to think about it, what the public’s opinion was going to be about it. It was just never the right time, and it was a very difficult topic to articulate properly… It’s sad that I had to wait till I was 36 years old to share that part of me, but better late than never, right?”
After penning her memoir, Panettiere said she was now feeling ‘comfortable’ speaking publicly about her sexuality and saying she is bisexual.
“I’m comfortable to confidently say that, yes, I am bisexual,” she said. “I said it!”
Related Article: Hayden Panettiere’s Younger Brother Jansen Has Died Aged 28
Related Article: Hayden Panettiere’s Younger Brother’s Cause Of Death Confirmed
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