Hayden Panettiere blasts critics following controversial slurred speech interview: 'It's unfathomable'

Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Hayden Panettiere attempted to set the record straight after a recent interview where fans questioned her speech patterns and subsequent mental health and sobriety. Panettiere, 35, was criticized for her slurred speech while discussing myriad topics, including her late brother's death in 2023, in a video that's since gone viral online.

"I would like to take a moment to address the controversy surrounding an interview I recently completed with PEOPLE Magazine ," she shared on Instagram Sunday. "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." HAYDEN PANETTIERE BECAME AGORAPHOBIC, EXPERIENCED RAPID WEIGHT GAIN AFTER BROTHER'S SUDDEN DEATH Hayden Panettiere defended herself against online critics.

(Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic) The "Heroes" actress admitted exhaustion and lack of sleep factored into her slurred speech during the filmed sit-down with the outlet. "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 wrote. "It was an 8-hour shoot followed by an on-camera interview that was supposed to last for 1 hour.

The interview started well, and for the record, its beginning is not included in the version PEOPLE Magazine posted. HAYDEN PANETTIERE OPENS UP ABOUT PAST SECRET ADDICTION TO OPIOIDS, ALCOHOL: 'I HIT ROCK BOTTOM' "I was ex.