Hayden Panettiere, 36, has publicly identified as bisexual in an interview with Us Weekly, marking a significant personal revelation for the actress. The disclosure comes ahead of the release of her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, which is set to hit shelves later this month.
Panettiere explained that she had long felt pressured to maintain a perfect public image, which delayed her coming out. She described feeling 'forced to be perfect at all times' during her early career, which made it difficult to share her true self. The actress also expressed concern about being perceived as 'jumping on the bandwagon' during a time when bisexuality was trendy among celebrities.
In her interview, Panettiere revealed that she has dated women since a young age and has always been more attracted to women than men. However, she admitted that she lacked the confidence to fully explore her sexuality due to fear of public scrutiny. The actress emphasized that her fame and lack of privacy played a role in her decision to keep her personal life private for so long.
Panettiere's memoir, which took two years to write, includes her decision to be 'completely brutally honest' about her sexuality. She described the process as organic, noting that she didn't know what she would feel comfortable sharing until she began writing. The actress hopes that her revelation will inspire others to embrace their true selves without fear.