Hayden Panettiere was focused on "resetting her life" when she appeared on the “Tamron Hall Show” in May, three months before her death, according to a source familiar with the interview. The "Nashville" star, who died Sunday at age 36, visited the daytime talk show to promote her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” which detailed her struggles with addiction and postpartum depression.
During the interview, Panettiere expanded on the themes in her memoir, aiming to convey that she had turned her life around. A source told Page Six that she "really felt wronged by so many people, and — with that — she was focused on resetting her life."
Panettiere also spoke about her distrust of Hollywood, recounting an instance at age 16 when an adult she trusted gave her "happy pills" before she walked a red carpet. "This was somebody that I trusted so wholeheartedly to protect me and it never crossed my mind — in that moment — [that they would put me] in a position of harm in any way," she recalled.
Her publicist, Kasey Kitchen, accompanied her to the "Tamron Hall Show" appearance. The source noted that Hall wanted the actress to have a support system present. Panettiere's friendship with Kitchen seemed genuine, and the publicist was described as "the only solid person in her corner at the time."
Following Panettiere's death, Tamron Hall shared a message on Instagram, stating, "Hayden trusted me with a deeply personal conversation. I’m grateful for that moment and for her honesty."
Clips from the interview shared by Hall's show after Panettiere's passing highlighted her determination. In one clip, Panettiere proclaimed, "I want to be an example of a powerful, strong, brave female, woman — and one that can say, ‘No,’ and put up personal boundaries and not get taken advantage of. And I will burn the world down for her."
Another clip recalled the moment she decided to seek treatment in 2020. Panettiere shared that a doctor warned her, "If you don’t stop, you're going to be looking at a liver transplant." Facing the possibility of not living to see 35, she stated, "I can’t do that to me... and if I can’t do it for myself, I’m going to do it for my child."
Panettiere's father, Skip, confirmed her death, stating in a release, "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her on-screen. We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss."