Hayden Panettiere reflects on lack of support from ‘Nashville’ set and team: 'Many chose not to protect me'

Hayden Panettiere reflects on her experiences while filming Nashville, describing the environment on the ABC musical drama set as unsupportive and lonely.

In a recent discussion with The Times UK, linked to the release of her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, the childhood actress shared her challenging experiences growing up in the Hollywood industry.

“It astonishes me how little compassion people showed,” she remarked about Nashville. “Many people chose not to offer me any protection.”

In her memoir, she comments on the relentless tabloid attention and paparazzi at the time, “I felt like raw meat placed before ravenous scavengers daily.”

Panettiere also mentioned that during her promotional tour for Heroes, at age 16, a team member provided her with a “happy pill” to keep her energised. She recounted that the pills were effective, leading to habitual use, and she now suspects they were amphetamines. “I was accustomed to placing absolute trust in my team,” she explained. “When they told me to jump, I jumped.”

In further unsettling accounts, Panettiere shared an incident where an Oscar-winning actor exposed himself to her at an industry event, and a female friend once invited her, then 18, onto a luxury yacht, only to leave her with a well-known man, who had no clothes on.

“It was the closest encounter I’ve had that felt like human trafficking, particularly being on a boat in the middle of the sea,” she remembered. “You’re trapped and realise, ‘This is why they pick such locations.’”

Throughout the profile, Panettiere further discussed her recovery journey from postpartum depression and her path to overcoming alcoholism and substance addiction.

“When I’m not engaged in work, that’s when I fall into the trap of ‘an idle mind is the Devil’s playground,’” she noted.

This year, she took part in the psychological thriller Sleepwalker and expressed her ambition to be involved in both action and comedy films.

“There’s a lot I aspire to achieve,” stated the Scream VI actress. “I want to express my creativity. I want to work behind the scenes. I want to direct. I want to produce.”