Days after opening up about a disturbing experience from her early years in Hollywood, Hayden Panettiere appears to be sharing further details that may hint at the identity of the “very famous” man she says she was placed in bed with at just 18 years old.
Keep reading to learn more.
Hayden Panettiere first spoke about the incident publicly on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast while promoting her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, released on May 19.
In the interview, Hayden described how a trusted industry acquaintance allegedly betrayed her and led her into a situation where she felt trapped and unsafe aboard a yacht in the South of France.
Panettiere, who began acting as a baby in commercials, later became known for roles in Remember the Titans, Ice Princess, and Bring It On: All or Nothing.
Between roughly 2018 and 2022, she largely stepped away from the spotlight while privately dealing with addiction and depression.
Speaking to Shetty, Hayden described that period as a “horrible cycle” involving substance addiction and mental health struggles.
She also recounted an incident involving a female industry friend she said she trusted and saw as a protector.
According to Panettiere, while on a yacht in the South of France, the woman — referred to in her memoir under a pseudonym — allegedly led her downstairs after dinner to meet someone.
Hayden said she was taken into a “very small room” inside a private cabin, where the woman allegedly placed her in bed next to a “very famous” undressed man.
At the time, Panettiere says she was only 18 years old.
While she did not name the individual, readers of her memoir believe additional descriptions may point to his identity, including her reference to him as a “famous thirty-something British singer-songwriter.”
She described seeing him in bed and feeling shocked and disoriented, while her companion allegedly encouraged her to stay and made inappropriate remarks before leaving the room.
Panettiere wrote that in that moment, “My body no longer felt like my own,” adding that her survival instincts eventually kicked in.
She said she told the man she was not comfortable and immediately left the room.
Reflecting on the experience, she described feeling betrayed by someone she trusted, saying she had been treated like a close friend only to be placed in an uncomfortable situation.
Panettiere also reflected on her age at the time, noting that despite feeling mature, she now understands she lacked the emotional and psychological maturity to fully process such situations.
