Hayden Panettiere Comes Out

The details

American actress Hayden Panettiere has spoken publicly about her sexual orientation for the first time. The 36-year-old Hollywood star has come out as bisexual.

The candid revelation was made during an interview with Us Weekly, released ahead of the presentation of the actress’s upcoming memoir. According to Panettiere, she kept this part of her identity private for many years due to fear of judgment, constant media attention, and the pressure of Hollywood.

“Now that I’ve decided to share this with the world, I can finally say it with confidence: yes, I’m bisexual. I said it! This is the first time I’ve been able to say it out loud,” the actress admitted.

Hayden revealed that she had felt a strong attraction to women from an early age, though for a long time she struggled to acknowledge it even to herself. According to the star, during her youth she was expected to fit the image of the “perfect girl” rather than be true to who she really was.

The actress also explained why she delayed speaking publicly about her sexuality. During the wave of coming-outs in Hollywood, Panettiere feared that her confession would be perceived as an attempt to “follow a trend.”

“It felt to me like coming out — especially for women — had become something of a trend at the time. I didn’t want my honesty to be viewed that way,” she shared.

Panettiere also confirmed for the first time that she had been in relationships with women for many years. According to her, those experiences were complicated by constant paparazzi attention and fears of losing her privacy.

It is worth noting that Hayden Panettiere was in a relationship with Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko for nearly a decade. The couple were engaged and share an 11-year-old daughter, Kaya Evdokia, who currently lives with her father.