EXCLUSIVE: How Tragic Hayden Panettiere Revealed Bisexuality and Drug Use in Memoir
Hayden Panettiere was open in her memoir before her tragic death.
Aug. 17 2026, Published 12:45 p.m. ET
Hayden Panettiere revealed deeply personal details about her bisexuality and drug and alcohol use in a candid memoir published just months before her death at 36, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Heroes star's representative confirmed her death to ABC News, with the circumstances remaining unknown.
Hayden Panettiere's Memoir Shared Personal Struggles
Panettiere revealed her bisexuality in a candid memoir.
Panettiere, who began appearing in commercials as a baby, had recently released This is Me: A Reckoning on May 19, detailing her experiences with fame, addiction, relationships, and grief after spending virtually her entire life in entertainment.
Her father said on Monday, August 17, about her passing: "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her – and to the millions who watched her on screen."
Among the tragic actress' memoir's most personal revelations was Panettiere's decision to publicly identify as bisexual for the first time.
Writing in a chapter titled Girls, Panettiere said: "Girls made sense to me, and I related to the energy they radiated."
She added: "The first time I experimented with a girl was when I was about eight or nine."
'I Got to Say It Out Loud'
Panettiere detailed her severe struggles with alcohol and drugs.
Panettiere later explained she had previously felt unable to discuss her sexuality publicly because she was under pressure to project a perfect image and feared bisexual women were being dismissed as following a trend.
She said in an interview surrounding the book's publication: "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."
Panettiere also documented her struggles with alcoholism and drugs, writing about using alcohol while dealing with depression, trauma and emotional pain. She recalled suffering severe withdrawal symptoms during an eight-month treatment stay in 2020, including uncontrollable shaking, insomnia and headaches.
She had previously revealed someone on her team began giving her what she called "happy pills" before red-carpet appearances when she was 15.
Panettiere said: "They were to make me peppy during interviews. I had no idea that this was not an appropriate thing, or what door that would open for me when it came to my addiction."
Hayden Panettiere's Battle With Addiction
Team members allegedly gave her 'happy pills' when she was fifteen.
The Nashville actress also wrote that a doctor eventually warned her she could be dead within five years if her drinking continued.
Her memoir recounted how she tried mushrooms for the first time during a glamping trip while filming Scream 4 in 2011.
Panettiere wrote: "I'd never tried 'shrooms before and didn't know what to expect, but I felt so comfortable with my friends that I wasn't worried."
She noted: "They would take care of me and ensure I had a stress-free trip."
Brother's Tragic Death
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The star lost her younger brother Jansen in February 2023.
She also discussed the death of her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, who died aged 28 in February 2023 from aortic valve complications and an undiagnosed enlarged heart.
Recalling the moment she learned of his passing, Panettiere wrote that her father told her: "Jansen's dead. My boy is dead."
She later said losing him felt like losing "half of my soul" and said she would never get over his death.
Panettiere began acting in commercials as a baby before becoming a major Hollywood star through Heroes and Nashville.
She also appeared in Remember the Titans, Scream 4 and Scream VI, with her career spanning television, film, music and voice acting, bringing the star international fame and significant commercial success.
