Photos of singer James Blunt and actress Hayden Panettiere from a 2009 charity event have resurfaced amid online speculation that Blunt was the unnamed British singer referenced in Panettiere's posthumously published memoir. The memoir details an incident where Panettiere, then 18, was allegedly encouraged by a friend to get into bed with a famous, thirtysomething British singer-songwriter on a yacht.
Blunt addressed the rumors on Monday by sharing a link to a Substack article written by journalist Dean Piper, which argues that the timeline of the alleged encounter does not align with Blunt's age and whereabouts at the time. Blunt's representatives have previously denied any insinuation that he was the individual described in the memoir.
The photos in question were taken in Cannes in 2009, showing Panettiere and Blunt at an amfAR charity event alongside actor Justin Long and reality TV star Diana Jenkins. Additional images show them with friends on a yacht the following day.
According to Piper's article, which Blunt amplified, Panettiere would have been closer to 19 or nearly 20 at the time of the Cannes event, contradicting the memoir's account of her being 18 during the alleged yacht incident. Piper's analysis suggests that if the encounter occurred when Panettiere was 18, Blunt could not have been involved.
Panettiere's memoir describes her experience on a super yacht in the South of France, where a trusted friend urged her to meet a British singer-songwriter in his cabin. Upon entering, she reportedly found the man shirtless in bed. The memoir states that her friend then instructed her to get into bed with him, leaving them alone. Panettiere recounts feeling disconnected from her body and ultimately refusing the encounter, stating, "Look... I don't know what she said to you, but this is not going to happen."
Panettiere, who died on August 16, described feeling betrayed by her friend, likening the situation to being treated like a "call girl." The circumstances of her death are under investigation, with the Drug Enforcement Administration involved.
