Hayden Panettiere Says Her Health Is ‘None of Anyone’s Business’

Photo: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

After a recent interview prompted speculation about Hayden Panettiere’s health, the actress says she felt “forced” to release a statement. For a People cover story, Panettiere sat down with the outlet to promote her upcoming thriller film, Amber Alert. The interview turned 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 she lost custody of her daughter, Kaya. After a video clip of the interview was released last week, fans speculated that Panettiere, who has dealt with substance use in the past, had relapsed after commenters pointed out her “slurred speech,” according to the Daily Mail. But in a Sunday Instagram post, Panettiere shut those rumors down, insisting that she simply hadn’t gotten enough sleep.

“I would like to take a moment to address the controversy surrounding an interview I recently completed with People Magazine,” she wrote. “It’s unfathomable that I’m even in this position, but I feel forced to address it in a space where I won’t be criticized for how fast or slow I speak.”

“I hadn’t slept for two days prior to the shoot due to one of my dogs who was recovering from an emergency surgical procedure. It was an 8-hour shoot followed by an on-camera interview that was supposed to last for 1 hour,” she continued. “I was exhausted. My rep stopped the interview early as it became obvious that I was fading — especially as the subject matter became heavier.”

Panettiere claims that her team asked if they could redo the interview another day or conduct a follow-up interview on Zoom to make up for her physical state 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 grant approval for images or video interviews before they run.”

“Grief looks different on everyone,” Panettiere continued. “Whether or not I am on medication is none of anyone’s business and is between me and my doctor,” she added. “The real issue here is the toxicity of social media, and a news cycle that is driven by click bait … Like I’ve said before, I am a work in progress. We all are.”

After the birth of her daughter Kaya in 2014, the Nashville actress went through a public struggle with postpartum depression, ultimately checking into a treatment center in Utah in 2016, per Us Weekly. She later opened up to Red Table Talk about her decades-long battle with substance use and about losing custody of her daughter to her ex Wladimir Klitschko in 2018 “partially against [her] will.” She later entered rehab, and in February of 2023, she lost her brother to an undiagnosed heart condition at the age of 28. “He was my only sibling, and he was my younger sibling, and it was my job to protect him,” she told People. “When I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul.”

For now, Panettiere says she remains focused on her mental health. “For those of you who have come to my defense amidst this chaos, I am so grateful.”