'Grief looks different for everyone': Hayden Panettiere addresses rumors she's relapsed into drug and alcohol abuse

Actress Hayden Panettiere has responded to rumors that she is again abusing alcohol and taking drugs. Her fans became concerned after Hayden's interview with People came out: they noted her too slow and slurred speech and strange behavior.

The actress herself said she was "exhausted" and "hadn't slept for two nights" after one of her dogs had to undergo emergency surgery. She is also grieving the death of her brother: 28-year-old actor Jensen Panettiere died last year in his New York apartment. According to insiders, he had been depressed in recent years.

"It's unfathomable that I'm in this situation at all, but I feel compelled to speak out, and I want to do it in a way that doesn't criticize me for how fast or slow I speak," the 35-year-old actress said on Instagram*.

"I didn't sleep for two days before filming because one of my dogs was recovering from emergency surgery. I was exhausted," she said. She said her representative asked how the interview went and offered to reshoot it, but the journalists assured her that everything went well. Hayden added that everything was fine from the start, but those segments didn't make the final cut.

Hayden says she doesn't feel like she has to justify herself at all, especially now that she's gone through a major loss. "Grief is different for everyone. Whether I take medication or not is nobody's business. It's my business."

Hayden Panettiere, who previously struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, has remained sober since 2020 after going to rehab.

Panettiere also previously experienced a toxic relationship with her ex-boyfriend, actor Brian Hickerson, who repeatedly beat her. They began dating in 2018, and in 2019, her lover severely beat the actress. However, Hickerson was not punished: Hayden forgave him, and the couple resumed their relationship. Soon, the beatings continued, and in 2020, the actress went to court again. The second time, Brian received a sentence: he was sentenced to 45 days in prison and four years of probation, and was required to attend courses on the dangers of domestic violence and anger management courses.

Before her affair with Brian Hickerson, Hayden was in a relationship with Ukrainian boxer Vladimir Klitschko. They started dating in 2009 and broke up in 2018. They have a daughter together, Kaia, who began living with her father after her parents separated. The actress later said that she could not see her daughter and was afraid that this would cause psychological trauma to the girl.

*Instagram is owned by Meta, an organization recognized as extremist in Russia