A hunting interview in which Hayden Panettiere talked about being betrayed by a friend and sex trafficked to a “very famous man” on a yacht at age 18 has resurfaced after her death on Sunday.
The troubled actress, who died of suspected cardiac arrest and overdose at age 36, described being “basically told to perform sexual acts” when she was still an up-and-coming child star.
Panettiere said the unidentified female friend was somebody she “had grown to trust and see as a protector” before she led her onto the boat when she was 18.
“There was no hints of anything like that happening, so it took me by surprise,” she said.
Panettiere made the comments on the May 11 episode of Jay Shetty’s podcast, “On Purpose with Jay Shetty.”
The “Heroes” actor said she was escorted below deck into a “very small room” and placed in bed next to an “undressed man,” as she recounted the incident, which also featured in her memoir “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” published May 19.
The unidentified man behaved “like this was just an average day for him,” Panettiere added, describing how she fled the room.
“I was like, ‘This is not happening,’” she said, adding that she tried to hide elsewhere on the boat.
“There was no jumping off and swimming away. And there was nobody who was going to be empathetic to my situation. I realized that this was nothing new to them,” Panettiere said.
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She also reflected on the emotional impact of being betrayed by a close friend.
“When you really find somebody that you trust, you hold on to them for dear life, and you feel so lucky. So to be betrayed like that is just an awful feeling,” she said.
Panettiere was found dead by a friend at an AirBnb apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, after emergency responders were called to an “unidentified female” having a “cardiac arrest” and suspected “overdose,” according to 911 dispatcher audio.
The actress had previously spoken openly about her struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, recalling being introduced to “happy pills” when she was just 15 to make her “peppy” during red carpet events during a previous interview with People.
