Hayden Panettiere calls fan response ‘unfathomable’ after controversial People interview

Hayden Panettiere has a message for fans who are concerned about her well-being after watching her video interview with People magazine.

The “Heroes” actress, 35, seemingly had slurred speech during the interview that was released last week where she talked about her brother Jansen’s death.

Panettiere addressed the fan response to the interview in an Instagram statement on Sunday.

“I would like to take a moment to address the controversy surrounding an interview I recently completed with PEOPLE Magazine,” she began her message. “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.”

“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,” Panettiere explained. “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.”

She went on, “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. She assured us that it wasn’t necessary, and that she felt it was an emotional and heartfelt interview. We were also told they would edit it and that it would be a beautiful piece. The magazine does not grant approval for images or video interviews before they run. We see the interview when it goes live.”