Hayden Panettiere blasts critics following controversial slurred speech interview: 'It's unfathomable'

Hayden Panettiere attempted to set the record straight after a recent interview where fans questioned her speech patterns and subsequent mental health and sobriety.

Panettiere, 35, was criticized for her slurred speech while discussing myriad topics, including her late brother's death in 2023, in a video that's since gone viral online.

"I would like to take a moment to address the controversy surrounding an interview I recently completed with PEOPLE Magazine," she shared on Instagram Sunday. "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."

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The "Heroes" actress admitted exhaustion and lack of sleep factored into her slurred speech during the filmed sit-down with the outlet.

"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," she wrote. "It was an 8-hour shoot followed by an on-camera interview that was supposed to last for 1 hour. The interview started well, and for the record, its beginning is not included in the version PEOPLE Magazine posted. 

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"I was exhausted. My rep stopped the interview early as it became obvious that I was fading—especially as the subject matter became heavier. We asked the interviewer if we could re-do it another day or do a follow up interview on zoom."

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Panettiere was "assured" that another interview wasn't necessary and was told that she gave "an emotional and heartfelt interview."

"We were also told they would edit it and that it would be a beautiful piece," she said. Per industry standards, she noted that "the magazine does not grant approval for images or video interviews before they run. We see the interview when it goes live."

Panettiere acknowledged how "grief looks different on everyone" before noting that her decision whether to be on medication is "none of anyone’s business and is between me and my doctor."

"I am doing interviews to promote my new film because I am proud of it," she said. "The real issue here is the toxicity of social media, and a news cycle that is driven by click bait. Mental health is so important, and I hope those reading this now understand that what you say hiding behind a computer screen can have a detrimental impact on someone. 

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"For those of you who have come to my defense amidst this chaos I am so grateful. Like I’ve said before, I am a work in progress. We all are."

The "Remember the Titans" actress discussed the loss of her younger brother, Jansen, for the first time. She revealed how his death in February 2023 not only mentally impacted her but also physically affected her health.

"When my little brother passed away, my body did something I've never really seen it do before, which was within days, I basically just like ballooned. Ballooned out," she said. "Stress and cortisol running through your body can do that. I tried everything — everything unhealthy, everything healthy — didn't matter what I ate, didn't matter what I did. My body … it was like protecting itself, shielding itself from the world."

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Panettiere struggled with agoraphobia following his funeral, and said she "lived in sweatpants and T-shirts" while struggling with leaving the house to meet friends.

"I became desperate. Because I wanted to keep working, but I didn't want to go and be miserable on set. And I didn't want to go to fittings and look at myself in the mirror and hate everything that I saw on myself," she said.

A personal trainer and her own mental strength helped Panettiere confront her demons head on, and she's since been able to "release the stress, the high expectations" she placed on herself.