Hayden Panettiere has addressed concerns after alarming fans with slurred speech.
Last week, the Heroes star, 35, gave an interview to People in which she discussed grieving the loss of her younger brother.
Jansen Panettiere, Hayden’s only sibling, died at the age of 28 in February due to an undiagnosed heart condition called cardiomegaly, or an enlarged heart.
As she discussed the heartbreaking subject in depth for the first time, a clip of Hayden quickly went viral, as viewers noticed her words were spoken softly and her eyes were ‘barely open’.
This sparked controversy across the internet and fears she had relapsed as, in July 2022, Hayden revealed to the public her past battle with alcoholism and opioid addiction.
Shortly after, a representative for the star maintained her sobriety, telling Page Six: ‘Speaking about her brother for the first time was very emotional for her – and it had been a long and exhausting day for her. She was not under the influence.’
Addressing fans’ concerns for the first time since the cover story dropped, Hayden penned a lengthy social media post, admitting she felt ‘forced’ to speak out.
‘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 began.
Hayden explained: ‘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.
‘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.
‘I was exhausted. My rep stopped the interview early as it became obvious that I was fading—especially as the subject matter became heavier.’
Hayden and her team claim to have then asked the interviewer if they could re-film on another day, but were assured ‘it wasn’t necessary’ and the piece would be edited in a sensitive manner.
Having not been granted approval over the footage, the actress only saw the interview when it was published to the world.
‘Grief looks different on everyone,’ she stated.
‘Whether or not I am on medication is none of anyone’s business and is between me and my doctor.’
Hayden added: ‘I am doing interviews to promote my new film because I am proud of it. The real issue here is the toxicity of social media, and a news cycle that is driven by clickbait.’
She declared: ‘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.’
Signing off, she thanked her fans for their support: ‘For those of you who have come to my defense amidst this chaos I am so grateful.
‘Like I’ve said before, I am a work in progress. We all are.’
Hayden was inundated with messages of support after sharing the post, with Kirbie Johnson commenting: ‘We were concerned because we care about you and didn’t want you to be exploited while you’re grieving. Glad you’re okay.’
‘Wait what?! This baffles me the stuff you are talking about isn’t easy as well and a lot of trauma. The voice changes when talking about trauma.’, wrote Terra Newell.
‘Wow!!! I wish more celebrities had a back bone like you and stood up for themselves and showed others they are human. I can’t love this enough!!! You go girl!!!!!!!’, commented Tracey Ferrin.
Hayden is currently promoting her new thriller, Amber Alert, which will be released on September 27.
When she first revealed her secret battles with addiction two years ago, the Scream star said: ‘Things kept getting out of control [off set] and as I got older, the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn’t live without.’
Hayden sought in-patient treatment in 2020 to get sober.
She was then left devastated earlier this year when her brother died unexpectedly, telling People last Wednesday: ‘I will always be heartbroken about it. I will never be able to get over it. No matter how many years go by, I will never get over his loss.’