Actress Hayden Panettiere has opened up about a deeply traumatic experience from her youth, describing a 'shocking' incident on a boat involving an undressed and very famous man. The revelation came during an interview with podcaster Jay Shetty, shared online Monday.
Betrayal by a Trusted Friend
Panettiere, now 36, said she felt betrayed by a friend when she was 18 years old. The friend took her onto a boat where she was led to a room containing a naked celebrity and was expected to perform sexual acts. 'Even though I felt like I could make healthy decisions, safe decisions, I wasn't capable of being fully aware of what was going on around me,' Panettiere said about her young age.
She explained that it wasn't until she found herself in those types of predicaments that her views about the real world shifted. 'But by the time I'd realized I was in danger, I was quite literally out to sea,' she said. 'That moment shook me and was shocking.'
Details of the Incident
The experience on the boat will also be included in her upcoming memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she also reveals she is bisexual. The incident involved someone she had 'grown to trust' and seen as a 'protector' who had her back, though she did not name the person. Panettiere said she was led to a small room where she was physically put in the same bed with the unidentified celebrity, who was relaxing with his hands behind his head. 'This was just, you know, an average day for him, and this is something that happens all the time,' she said.
According to Panettiere, she waited for her friend to leave before her gut instincts kicked in. She described a 'lion' and 'fire' in her as her 'hair stood on end and I became ferocious.' She told herself, 'This is not happening,' but realized she had nowhere to hide. 'I bolted and I hid wherever I could think of to hide on a boat.' She noted there was no option to jump off and swim away, and no one aboard who would be empathetic to her situation.
Emotional Aftermath
Panettiere expressed deep disappointment over the betrayal. 'It's disappointing when somebody lets you down like that,' she continued. 'And I'd been let down so much before, and that when you really find somebody that you trust, like you hold on to them for dear life and you feel so lucky. So to be betrayed like that is just an awful feeling.'
In addition to this revelation, Panettiere's memoir also touches on her bisexuality and her decision to undergo breast reduction surgery, which she says has boosted her confidence. The actress is known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville.
