Troubled actress who starred in iconic TV show and teen films looks unrecognizable in barefaced selfie
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By SARAH SOTOODEH and JACKIE LINDENBERG FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
Published: 21:50 BST, 8 April 2025 | Updated: 22:31 BST, 8 April 2025
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Hayden Panettiere looked unrecognizable in a barefaced selfie she shared to Instagram on Monday.
The troubled star, 35, shared a close up picture of herself while enjoying an evening swim in her pool.
The mother of one opted to go makeup free in the image, which she captioned simply with ‘#poolparty.’
Hayden became a household name after starring in a number of hit projects, including the iconic TV show Heroes – as well as country hit series Nashville – and teen films like Bring It On: All or Nothing, Ice Princess and I Love You, Beth Cooper.
Her selfie comes just months after her ‘slurred speech’ in interviews.
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Hayden Panettiere looked unrecognizable in a barefaced selfie she shared to Instagram on Monday
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The Bring It On: All Or Nothing actress has previously battled with opioid addiction as well as substance abuse in the past – but has been in recovery since 2021.
In September, she opened up to People about the death of her younger brother Jansen following his shock passing at age 28 due to an undiagnosed heart condition in February 2023 called cardiomegaly.
A ‘concerning’ video of the interview soon went viral – with the star also discussing her daughter Kaya, nine.
Social media users speculated that Hayden was ‘not sober’ due to ‘slurred speech’ and looking exhausted.
At the time, some took to X to share their thoughts, with one penning, ‘Slurred speech eyes can barely stay open, trying to make it through long words clearly not sober. Very sad.’
Another fan typed, ‘This is complete exploitation. This is an addict who is clearly very unsober,’ while DWTS pro Peta Murgatroyd said, ‘This interview should be removed ASAP!’
Not long afterwards, Hayden broke her silence over the concern of her People interview on her own Instagram page.
At the time, she uploaded a photo of herself posing in front of a large sign that spelled out her name.
‘It’s unfathomable that I’m even in this position, but I feel forced to address it in a space where I won’t be criticized for how fast or slow I speak,’ she explained to her followers.
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The troubled star, 35, shared a close up picture of herself while enjoying an evening swim in her pool; seen in 2022 in West Hollywood
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Not long afterwards, Hayden broke her silence over the concern of her People interview on her own Instagram page
Hayden Panettiere dances up a storm while painting outside
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Panettiere added that she hadn’t slept for two days before the shoot due to her pet having an emergency and needing surgery.
‘It was an 8-hour shoot followed by an on-camera interview that was supposed to last for 1 hour. The interview started well, and for the record, its beginning is not included in the version PEOPLE Magazine posted. I was exhausted.’
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‘My rep stopped the interview early as it became obvious that I was fading – especially as the subject matter became heavier.’
Hayden asked to re-do the interview but was told ‘that it wasn’t necessary’ and added, ‘The magazine does not grant approval for images or video interviews before they run. We see the interview when it goes live.’
The actress expressed that, ‘Grief looks different on everyone. Whether or not I am on medication is none of anyone’s business and is between me and my doctor.’
She also added, ‘The real issue here is the toxicity of social media, and a news cycle that is driven by click bait.’
‘Mental health is so important, and I hope those reading this now understand that what you say hiding behind a computer screen can have a detrimental impact on someone.’
Hayden concluded with, ‘For those of you who have come to my defense amidst this chaos I am so grateful. Like I’ve said before, I am a work in progress. We all are.’
However, the actress sparked worry once again as she sat down for a separate interview with Today’s Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager last month.
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When asked if she has ‘processed’ her brother’s death, Panettiere admitted, ‘I don’t know that I fully have. I think it’s something that transforms over time’; seen in 2019 in Hollywood
Fans claimed that Hayden had ‘delayed speech’ while answering questions and was also ‘slurring words.’
During the interview, she promoted her film Amber Alert – as well as talking about her late brother and mental health.
Social media users once again took to X, with one adding, ‘It was so hard watching Hayden Panettiere on @HodaAndJenna What happen to her? Her eyes are so blank and her speech seems so delayed.’
‘I didn’t want to be rude because I don’t know what she’s going through, but she seems heavily under some sort of substance in that interview,’ another wrote.
A fan also shared, ‘She was slurring words and her eyes stayed closed for too long at certain moments. Hope she’s ok.’
In regards to her mental health following her brother’s death, Hayden told Hoda and Jenna, ‘I thought that people would have empathy, was going to be the only thing that was there, but I had no idea how my body, my mind, was going to react to grief.’
‘It’s wild what stress and grief and all these hormones and running through your body can do…’
Hayden Panettiere poses in swimwear during steamy photoshoot
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In regards to her mental health following her brother’s death, Hayden told Hoda and Jenna, ‘I thought that people would have empathy, was going to be the only thing that was there, but I had no idea how my body, my mind, was going to react to grief’
‘I mean, make you faint. My mother, when she got stressed – she’s gonna kill me for saying this – she used to get knots on her head. It comes in all different forms, so nobody should be embarrassed by it or judged for it.’
When asked if she has ‘processed’ her brother’s death, Panettiere admitted, ‘I don’t know that I fully have. I think it’s something that transforms over time.’
‘Maybe the five stages of grief is for people who have had a heartbreak or find out some bad news. Yes, there are five stages, but there’s so much more in between.
The star added, ‘And when you lose somebody that you saw in all of the important moments in your life, standing right next to you, it just rocks your world. So it just changes…it changes.’
