Hayden Panettiere’s disturbing account of an alleged betrayal by a trusted female friend has resurfaced following her death at 36.
Hayden died on Sunday (August 16). Her father, Skip Panettiere, paid tribute to his daughter. He described Hayden as “an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her – and to the millions who watched her onscreen”.
Amid the reaction to Hayden’s death, attention has returned to an interview in which Hayden claimed a woman she regarded as a protector placed her in a dangerous situation on a yacht when she was 18.
What Hayden Panettiere said about the alleged yacht encounter
Speaking on the Jay Shetty podcast, which aired in May, Hayden said she had been on a yacht in the South of France when the woman took her below deck.
The actress alleged that she was physically placed in a bed beside an undressed man. She did not identify either person, describing the man only as a “thirty something British singer-songwriter” who was “very famous”.
Recalling the moment she understood what was happening, Hayden told the podcast: “By the time I’d realised I was in danger, I was quite literally out to sea.”
She added: “She physically put me in the bed next to this undressed man who was very famous.”
No names were given during the account, and there is no evidence in the supplied material that would allow either person to be identified. Any online speculation about their identities would therefore be unsubstantiated.
Hayden described becoming ‘ferocious’ before escaping
Hayden said she reacted immediately once she realised the seriousness of the situation.
She recalled: “My hair stood on end and I became ferocious. I was like, ‘This is not happening.'”
The actress then fled and attempted to hide elsewhere aboard the yacht. She explained: “I bolted and hid wherever I could think of to hide on a boat. There was no jumping off and swimming away.”
Read more: ‘Investigation ongoing’ following Hayden Panettiere’s death after ‘suspected overdose’
Her account focused not only on the alleged encounter, but also on the emotional impact of being put in that position by somebody she had trusted.
“When you really find somebody that you trust, you hold on to them for dear life,” Hayden said. “So, to be betrayed like that is just an awful feeling.”
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