‘Grief looks different on everyone’: Hayden Panettiere breaks her silence on controversial People interview

Hayden Panettiere is speaking out after her recent People interview turned into a social media frenzy, as users speculated on her health and questioned if the interview was ethical.

Recently, Panettiere spoke out publicly for the first time regarding the sudden passing of her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere. Jansen passed away unexpectedly on February 19, 2023, at the age of 28, from an undetected heart condition. Following his passing, Panettiere took a hiatus from the spotlight. However, in September of 2024, she decided to speak to People, opening up for the first time about her grief and healing process. She spoke candidly about how the grief impacted her. Her loss came at a time when she felt things were looking up. After battling substance abuse for years, she was sober, newly free from an abusive relationship, and working on Scream 6.

Then, the shock and pain of losing her brother made her feel like she lost half of her soul. She began struggling with agoraphobia after the paparazzi took pictures of her “coming out of Jansen’s funeral,” and her health deteriorated from “stress and cortisol.” Panettiere shared how walking, venting, and working with a trusted personal trainer eventually helped her gain back her confidence and get back to work, although she noted the trauma of her brother’s passing is something she “will never be able to get over.” Sadly, what should’ve been a raw and powerful interview about grief and healing turned into something else when viewers began speculating about her health and state of mind during the interview.

Hayden Panettiere slams “toxic social media” over interview reactions

Panettiere’s interview quickly went viral, especially on TikTok, where viewers began spreading rumors that she was under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the interview. A snippet of the interview posted to People‘s TikTok has already garnered over 8 million views. In the video, Panettiere looked tired and spoke very slowly. Many commenters pointed out her appearance and speech pattern could merely be the result of grief, but other commenters insisted she looked “unwell.” The video also led to many calls for People to take down the interview as they deemed it “unethical” and “exploitative.”

The invasive speculation and outcry grew so severe that Panettiere was forced to publicly address the interview, even though she didn’t want to be put in this position. On Instagram, 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.”

She explained that a medical emergency with one of her dogs kept her awake the two nights before the interview. Although the interview started well, the exhaustion began to set in, forcing her and her team to end the interview early. Panettiere 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.”

Her statement also revealed that she and her team asked for a redo of the interview, but People insisted the footage they got was sufficient and that they would edit it to ensure it was a “beautiful piece.” She and her team weren’t permitted to view the footage until it went live.

Panettiere also directly addressed the speculation about her health, stating that it wasn’t “anyone’s business” whether she was on medication or not. She stated of her appearance and speech, “Grief looks different on everyone.” Ultimately, she wanted to promote her new movie with pride and pay tribute to her younger brother, but the media wouldn’t let her. She wrote, ” The real issue here is the toxicity of social media, and a news cycle that is driven by click bait.”

Panettiere concluded by urging people to recognize the impact of their words on social media and to offer her grace since, like everyone else, she is still “a work in progress.” It’s disappointing that women are so frequently forced to speak out and explain every detail of their appearance and health. She is still grieving the loss of a family member, and that should have been enough for viewers to respectfully refrain from speculation.

Sadly, her experience isn’t an isolated incident. Recently, Rachael Ray went viral for the exact same reason. The celebrity chef filmed a cooking video to pay tribute to her late friend, only to be hit with a bevy of invasive comments diagnosing her with conditions there’s no evidence she has and scrutinizing everything from her hair to her age.

As Panettiere pointed out, one’s health and medication aren’t things that women should have to disclose if they’re not comfortable. At the same time, it seems that People may have been responsible for some of the controversy. For a topic so sensitive and close to Panettiere’s heart, the outlet should have allowed her to preview and approve the footage beforehand or to redo the interview at a better time. She makes an excellent point that the controversy could have been avoided if people had put respect and privacy before social media gossip and media views.