Hayden Panettiere came out as bisexual in her new memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.
Speaking with Us Weekly, the Scream star reflected on growing up in the spotlight and feeling pressure to maintain a certain image rather than fully express who she was.
“It was either I was too young, and I was being forced to be perfect at all times,” she told the outlet. “I was not encouraged to just be myself.”
The actress explained that, for years, she also worried people would dismiss her sexuality rather than take it seriously.
“Then came the period where it felt like people coming out, especially women, saying that they were bisexual or liked girls, was a fad. I was afraid that, if I was honest, it would be like me jumping on the bandwagon. It was a very difficult topic to articulate properly.
“It’s sad I had to wait until I was 36 years old to share that part of me, but better late than never, right?”
The Heroes alum also confirmed she has dated women before, though never publicly.
“It was scary, though, because there were paparazzi always waiting for me outside, to follow me everywhere. I had very little privacy.”
She goes on to say that she has never been in love with a woman, despite having felt more attracted to women even as a child. “I have explored it, but because I hadn’t shared this with anybody, I didn’t really have the courage to throw myself fully emotionally into it. Because then if I did fall in love, that wasn’t something that I wanted to ever have to hide.”
Her memoir will dive deeper into her sexuality and personal journey, something she says has helped her finally feel ready to embrace her bisexuality openly and without fear.
“Now that I know that this book is coming out, and that I’ve chosen to share it with the world, I’m comfortable to confidently say that yes, I am bisexual. I said it! This is the first time I got to say it out loud.”
This Is Me: A Reckoning is set to hit shelves May 19 and will explore Panettiere’s personal journey through fame, motherhood, addiction, and healing.
Over the years, Hayden Panettiere has built an impressive career filled with beloved teen classics, cult favorites, and dramatic television roles. Many first remember her from Disney’s Ice Princess, where she played competitive skater Gen Harwood opposite Michelle Trachtenberg. She also became a standout in the cheerleading world thanks to her role in Bring It On: All or Nothing, starring alongside Solange Knowles. Of course, Panettiere became a global star as Claire Bennet in Heroes, and later earned critical acclaim for her role as Juliette Barnes in Nashville. Horror fans also embraced her as Kirby Reed in Scream 4 and Scream VI, solidifying her status as a modern scream queen.
