A lifelong family friend of Hayden Panettiere, who described herself as the actress's "second mother," has stated that Panettiere "never stood a chance" to overcome her struggles, attributing them in part to her upbringing in Hollywood.
Linsey Lonberg, who has known Panettiere since childhood, suggested that the actress's death was predictable given the depression and addiction she faced. Lonberg told the Daily Mail that the environment of Hollywood exposed young actors to readily available substances. "She told me that when you go working on a set, all kinds of pills, liquor, all kinds of things are available where you can get anything you want," Lonberg said.
Panettiere herself wrote about her experiences in her autobiography, "This Is Me: A Reckoning." In it, she detailed how she was offered "happy pills" at an event when she was only 15 years old. The actress's struggles with addiction led her to check into rehab in 2020, where she spent eight months in treatment. Doctors reportedly warned her that she risked dying within five years if she did not stop drinking.
Lonberg, 73, remains close with Panettiere's father, Alan "Skip" Panettiere. She expressed her devastation at the loss of both his children, noting that he had recently lost his son, Jansen, who died in February 2023 at the age of 28 from an undiagnosed heart condition.
Panettiere, who died at the age of 36, was also in the public eye from a very young age, with early roles in television and film. A resurfaced interview also detailed Panettiere's allegations of being betrayed by a friend and sex trafficked to a prominent figure on a yacht when she was 18.