Hayden Panettiere breaks silence after slurred speech video sparks concern

Hayden Panettiere has reassured her concerned fans

Fans were worried about her health and feared she was under the influence during an interview with People.

Fans claimed Panettiere's speech was slurred and her eyes kept closing in the interview.

Many accused her of being under the influence, but her team stressed that the actress was simply upset when talking about her late brother.

Panettiere sadly lost her younger brother in 2023. He died from an undiagnosed heart condition at the mere age of 28 and left behind a completely heartbroken older sister.

Her spokesperson said: "Speaking about her brother for the first time was very emotional for her — and it had been a long and exhausting day for her."

They stressed: "She was not under the influence."

An insider also told People that the actress was fully cooperating during the interview and was also joined by her team.

Many fans have defended the actress after the interview went viral online.

One said, "Grief is brutal. She seems such a shell of the vibrant person she once was. Hopefully she can find ways to take care of herself."

"I watched the Hayden Panettiere PEOPLE interview and yes, it looks like she could've taken a relaxer or something, but she was not drunk.

"Everything she said was articulate and coherent. Grief is not pretty, and I applaud Hayden for being brave enough to show us that," another said.

Others called out the publication for sharing the interview in the first place.

One said: "People Magazine posting that Hayden Panettiere interview was so vile. They did her so dirty and were not looking out for her on a human level. That’s all I’ll say."

Another shared: "It’s very sad that her team trotted her out in front of the media like that."

Hayden Panettiere struggled with addiction in the past. However, she confirmed was sober after being treated at an in-patient rehab in 2020.

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