An interview in which Hayden Panettiere recounted being betrayed by a friend and sex trafficked at age 18 has resurfaced following her death. Panettiere, who died at 36, described in the May 11 episode of Jay Shetty's podcast, “On Purpose with Jay Shetty,” being subjected to sexual acts by a “very famous man” aboard a yacht.
The actress, then an up-and-coming star, stated that a female friend she trusted led her onto the boat. "There was no hints of anything like that happening, so it took me by surprise," Panettiere said. She was then escorted to a room and placed in bed with an undressed man, an experience detailed in her memoir “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” published May 19.
Panettiere recalled the man acting as if the situation was routine and described her attempt to flee the room and hide elsewhere on the boat. "There was no jumping off and swimming away. And there was nobody who was going to be empathetic to my situation. I realized that this was nothing new to them," she said.
She also spoke of the emotional toll of betrayal by someone she considered a protector. "When you really find somebody that you trust, you hold on to them for dear life, and you feel so lucky. So to be betrayed like that is just an awful feeling," Panettiere shared.
Panettiere was found deceased at an Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina. Emergency responders were called to the scene for an "unidentified female" experiencing suspected cardiac arrest and overdose, according to 911 dispatcher audio. The actress had previously been open about her struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, having been introduced to prescription medication at age 15 to enhance her public appearances.