Hayden Panettiere addresses health concerns after 'slurring speech' during interview

Hayden Panettiere has addressed her health after appearing to have "slurred speech" during a recent interview.

In a wide-ranging conversation for People published last week, the Nashville actress opened up about her life, career, past struggles with alcoholism, and the sudden death of her brother Jansen Panettiere of a heart condition in February 2023 at the age of 28.

However, some fans noted Hayden appeared to find to difficult to speak at one point in the interview, and on Sunday, she issued a statement via Instagram in which she insisted she is fine.

"I would like to take a moment to address the controversy surrounding an interview I recently completed with People magazine. 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 began. "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. It was an eight-hour shoot followed by an on-camera interview that was supposed to last for one hour."

Hayden went on to note that she was "exhausted" and her representative asked to stop the interview early because she started to fade once the "subject matter became heavier".

Yet, the journalist promised the Scream star that the discussion would end up as a "beautiful piece".

Accordingly, Hayden maintained that she is doing well in spite of the concerns over her health.

"Grief looks different on everyone. Whether or not I am on medication is none of anyone's business and is between me and my doctor," the 35-year-old continued. "The real issue here is the toxicity of social media, and a news cycle that is driven by clickbait. 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. For those of you who have come to my defence amidst this chaos I am so grateful. Like I've said before, I am a work in progress. We all are."

Hayden is currently promoting her new film, Amber Alert. The thriller is set to open in select theatres on Friday.