Hayden Panettiere breaks silence on 'slurred speech' controversy

Hayden Panettiere reacted to the controversy surrounding her 'slurred speech' interview on Sunday.

The actress, 35, took to Instagram to address her 'slurred speech' after a recent clip went viral of her talking about grieving the loss of her younger brother after his sudden passing last year.

In her PEOPLE cover story, some viewers noted that she was articulating softly and slowly while opening up about the sensitive topic for the first time since his death.

Her younger and only sibling Jansen Panettiere died at the age of 28 due to an undiagnosed heart condition called cardiomegaly, or an enlarged heart, in February 2023.

On social media, she addressed the controversy and fan concern even after her representatives defended her sobriety and recovery from opioid addiction and alcohol abuse.

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In a lengthy caption, which accompanied a photo of herself standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling screen with her name plastered across the front, she said the controversy was 'unfathomable' and that she felt 'forced to address' how she talks.

The Nashville star explained that she was 'exhausted' and had not slept in multiple days because of a pet emergency. 

She also noted that grief presents differently for each individual and added that it was 'none of anyone's business' whether or not she was on any medication while processing her loss. 

'I would like to take a moment to address the controversy surrounding an interview I recently completed with People Magazine,' she wrote as she addressed the aforementioned, controversial interview. 

'It's unfathomable that I'm even in this position, but I feel forced to address it in a space where I won't be criticized for how fast or slow I speak,' she said. 

'I hadn't slept for two days prior to the shoot due to one of my dogs who was recovering from an emergency surgical procedure,' she continued. 

'It was an eight-hour shoot followed by an on-camera interview that was supposed to last for one hour,' she explained. 

'The interview started well, and for the record, its beginning is not included in the version PEOPLE Magazine posted,' she added. 'I was exhausted.'

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Panettiere continued: 'My rep stopped the interview early as it became obvious that I was fading — especially as the subject matter became heavier.'

She recalled that they asked to continue the interview at a different time, but she was reassured that 'it would be a beautiful piece.'

'We asked the interviewer if we could re-do it another day or do a follow-up interview on Zoom,' she said. 'She assured us that it wasn't necessary, and that she felt it was an emotional and heartfelt interview.'

She added: 'We were also told they would edit it and that it would be a beautiful piece. 

'The magazine does not grant approval for images or video interviews before they run. We see the interview when it goes live.'

Then, she attributed the 'slurred speech' that people were noticing as a symptom of her grief. 

'Grief looks different on everyone,' she said. 'Whether or not I am on medication is none of anyone's business and is between me and my doctor.' 

She explained that the 'real issue here' is how she was misconstrued and mischaracterized online.

'I am doing interviews to promote my new film because I am proud of it. The real issue here is the toxicity of social media, and a news cycle that is driven by click bait,' she wrote. 

'Mental health is so important, and I hope those reading this now understand that what you say hiding behind a computer screen can have a detrimental impact on someone.'

She concluded her message with a note of gratitude to her fans who defended her.

'For those of you who have come to my defense amidst this chaos I am so grateful. Like I've said before, I am a work in progress. We all are. — Hayden.'