Hayden Panettiere put on a brave face as she stepped out in her second outfit of the day in NYC on Tuesday – after once again sparking fears for her health.
The actress, 35, wore a cream top and matching trousers with grey pinstriped blazer as she continued her promotion for new movie Amber Alert – after an appearance on Today With Hoda & Jenna left fans worried for her.
She wore blonde locks in a sleek updo and sported mascara and bright pink lipstick for the occasion.
Hayden appeared to be brushing off fans’ claims she was ‘slurring words’ and appeared to have ‘delayed speech’ in her latest interview.
The appearance came one day after she shared a statement in response to the concern regarding her recent interview with People magazine.
Hayden Panettiere put on a brave face as she stepped out in her second outfit of the day in NYC on Tuesday – after once again sparking fears for her health
The actress took to Instagram to address her ‘slurred speech’ after a video clip went viral of her talking about grieving the loss of her younger brother. Hayden claimed the publication had chosen not to use footage filmed at the beginning of the interview, and appeared to blame the editing process.
However, her live appearance on Today sparked similar comments online after the blonde star opened up to Hoda, 60, and Jenna, 42, about her mental health and the way her body has reacted to grief following her sibling’s death in February 2023.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one person posted: ‘It was so hard watching Hayden Panettiere on @HodaAndJenna What happen to her? Her eyes are so blank and her speech seems so delayed.’
Another user replied and said: ‘I was just thinking the same thing. I feel bad,’ while a third person claimed: ‘She seems to be under the influence.’
Someone else commented: ‘I didn’t want to be rude because I don’t know what she’s going through, but she seems heavily under some sort of substance in that interview.’
‘She was slurring words and her eyes stayed closed for too long at certain moments. Hope she’s ok,’ they added
In a lengthy caption on Sunday, 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.
The actress, 35, wore a cream top and matching trousers with grey pinstriped blazer as she continued her promotion for new movie Amber Alert – after an appearance on Today With Hoda & Jenna left fans worried for her
Hayden flashed a wide smile as she headed out in NYC
Hayden sparked fears with her ‘slurred speech’ and ‘blank eyes’ on Tuesday
One viewer took to X and shared their concern and claimed Hayden’s speech was ‘delayed’
More viewers agreed and one person said she appeared to be ‘slurring words’ during the interview
Hayden left the Today Show wearing a chic gray blazer and high-waisted black pants
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.’
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.
Hayden pictured with her brother, Jansen, in January 2019. He sadly passed away in February 2023 from an undiagnosed heart condition
‘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.’
