Hayden Panettiere is opening up about what it's like to speak publicly about her grief and mental health. Initially, in an interview with People, Hayden, 35, shared how she felt after unexpectedly losing her only sibling. In 2023, Hayden's younger brother, Jansen, died from an undiagnosed heart condition at age 28.
"When I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul," she told People during the interview. The video quickly became controversial though, as many people who listened to it expressed concerns about the way Hayden was speaking.
During the interview, Hayden said that she will "always be heartbroken about" losing her brother, and she "will never be able to get over it." In the comments section, however, a lot of people started making comments about the way Hayden looked and sounded.
"You can really see and hear the medications she's on," one person commented on YouTube. "I hope her heart heals a little more."
"I hope she is okay I genuinely do because she's been through so much but she looks like she is heavily medicated," another person wrote.
Hayden didn't expect people to react this way when she opened up about what she has been struggling with. She addressed the rumors in an Instagram post on September 22, 2024, writing that it's "unfathomable that I’m even in this position" of feeling "forced" to explain why she was speaking the way that she did during the interview.
"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," Hayden wrote on Instagram. "It was an 8-hour shoot followed by an on-camera interview that was supposed to last for 1 hour."
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She added that although the beginning of the interview went well, that part was not included in the final version shared by People. But as the interview continued, Hayden was "exhausted" and both she and her rep asked if they could stop the interview and continue it at another time.
"[The interviewer] assured us that it wasn’t necessary, and that she felt it was an emotional and heartfelt interview," Hayden continued in her post. "We were also told they would edit it and that it would be a beautiful piece."
Later on in the post, Hayden addressed the people who were speculating about medications she may be taking — and told them that it's really not their business. "Grief looks different on everyone," she said. "Whether or not I am on medication is none of anyone’s business and is between me and my doctor."
She continued with, "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."
To wrap up her post, Hayden thanked those who have defended her. "Like I’ve said before, I am a work in progress. We all are," she concluded.
During an appearance on Today on September 24, Jenna Bush Hager asked her how it's felt to publicly talk about mental health and decrease stigma while "trying to get ahold of [her] own mental health."
Hayden explained that she thought talking about her grief and mental health "would be easier." She also "thought that people would have empathy."
During their conversation, Hoda Kotb asked Hayden how she has "been able to process the death of [her] brother." "I don't know that I fully have," Hayden admitted. "I think it's something that transforms over time."
She explained why there's "so much more" than just "the five stages of grief" when it comes to such a devastating loss.
"Maybe the five stages of grief is for people who have had a heartbreak or find out some bad news. Like, yes, there are five stages, but there's so much more in between," Hayden explained on the show. "And when you lose somebody that that you saw in all the important moments in your life, standing right next to you, it just rocks your world."
