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Stay up to date with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more

Hayden Panettiere’s rep has spoken out after fans raised concerns about a recent interview she gave.

On Wednesday, September 19, People published their cover story in September along with a video interview on the publication’s Instagram account, in which Panettiere spoke about her brother’s death.

However, many people noted in the comments section that her “speech was slurred” and her eyes “could barely stay open.”

Panettiere has been candid in the past about her struggles with drug abuse and alcohol addiction.

However, a spokesperson for the actress insisted in a statement that she was sober. Page Six: “Talking about her brother for the first time was very emotional for her – and it had been a long and tiring day for her. She was not under the influence.”

The Independent has contacted Panettiere representatives for further comment.

Other commentators on People‘s post argued that the interview should be removed. “Can someone please remove this video? Hayden is clearly struggling here. This is exploitation. Remove this video immediately,” one person wrote.

“This interview needs to be deleted ASAP!!” added a second.

“Please take this video down. Have some respect and compassion,” wrote a third.

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“Please do the respectful thing and remove this,” a fourth commenter urged.

The Heroes The actress has previously spoken about her history of addiction to opioids and alcohol, explaining this in an interview with People in 2022 that she was only 15 years old when someone first started offering her pills.

“They had to hype me up during interviews,” the actress told the outlet. “I had no idea that this wasn’t appropriate, or the door that would open for me in terms of my addiction.”

Panettiere continued, saying that while she “wasn’t allowed to be messy” during filming, she still consumed alcohol and used opioids in her free time.

“But things kept spiraling out of control (off set). And as I got older, the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn’t live without,” she said.

The actor became a mother in 2014. She has a daughter Kaya, nine, with former professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko. Although she remained sober during her pregnancy, she started drinking again after giving birth.

“He didn’t want to be near me,” she said of Klitschko at the time.

“I didn’t want to be with myself. But with the opiates and alcohol I did everything to feel happy for a moment. Then I felt worse than before. I was in a cycle of self-destruction.”

The turning point for her was when she was admitted to hospital with jaundice and received news about the condition of her liver.

“Doctors told me my liver was going to fail,” she said. “I was no longer a 20-year-old who could just get back on my feet.”

She went to a rehab clinic for eight months, where she was given the chance to ‘get over the threshold’ of her addiction.

“It’s a daily choice, and I check in with myself all the time,” Panettiere said. “But I’m just so grateful to be a part of this world again, and I’ll never take it for granted again.”