Hayden Panettiere recalls moment ‘friend’ put her in bed with ‘very famous’ naked older man as teen

American actress Hayden Panettiere has recalled a terrifying situation that took place aboard a boat when she was 18.

The 36-year-old, who is best known for her roles on the popular TV shows Heroes and Nashville, appeared on Monday’s (11 May) episode of Jay Shetty’s podcast, On Purpose with Jay Shetty.

Panettiere detailed a ‘shocking’ encounter that she initially described in her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, which was released today.

Reflecting on growing up in the spotlight as a child actor, she said: “Even though I'd lived such a huge life, and I thought I was oh so mature at 18, scientifically, your frontal lobes don't develop until we're 25, 26.

“So even though I felt like I could make healthy decisions, safe decisions, I wasn't capable of being fully aware of what was going on around me.”

For context, Panettiere had already made a huge name for herself, starring on Ally McBeal, Heroes, and Remember the Titans, all before she turned 18.

The actress appeared on the most recent episode of Jay Shetty's podcast (YouTube/Jay Shetty Podcast)

Host Shetty said during the interview: “You write about a moment in your career where a friend of yours takes you onto a boat. You’re led to a room which has an older man in it and then basically told to perform sexual acts.”

Panettiere said, "By the time I'd realized I was in danger, I was quite literally out to sea. I had been having a great time. There was no hints of anything like that happening. So I was shocked."

The actress described being led by somebody that she’ had grown to trust and saw as a protector, and somebody who had my back’.

She recalled: “So to be walked down the stairs... it was presented as though it was a surprise, and it was this very small room.

“She physically put me in the bed next to this undressed man who was very famous, and had his hands like this," she added, putting on a careless expression, “like this was just an average day for him, and this is something that happens all the time."

Panettiere had already made a name for herself by the time she turned 18 in 2007 (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Panetteire said she waited for her friend to leave before she unleashed ‘that lion in me, that fire in me. My hair stood on end and I became ferocious. I was like, 'This is not happening’.

She said she had ‘nowhere to hide’ but ‘bolted and I hid wherever she could think of to hide on a boat’.

"There was no jumping off and swimming away. and I realized that there was nobody who was going to be empathetic to my situation - that this was nothing new to them,” the star added.

Reflecting on the emotional impact of being betrayed like that, she admitted, “When you really find somebody that you trust, you hold on to them for dear life and you feel so lucky. So to be betrayed like that is just an awful feeling.”

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.

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