In a recent interview with The Messenger, Hayden Panettiere revealed that filming “Nashville” was “very traumatizing because I felt like I was acting out my own life.” The actor portrayed country pop singer Juliette Barnes on the musical drama ABC, which aired for six seasons and 124 episodes from 2012 to 2018. Panettiere claimed that the show’s writers frequently drew from her own life while creating Juliette’s stories, which was emotionally traumatic for her because the storylines featured her real-life struggle with alcoholism.
“Straight from the beginning, it was like, I’m dating a football player, [and then] Juliette dates a football player,” Panettiere recollects. “And then they made her an alcoholic. Then they shifted to her leaving her baby and traveling to this wild place in Europe, which was quite evident.They were not completing their schoolwork. They were not developing fresh storylines. They were simply looking at my life and saying, ‘Oh, let’s just take what she’s going through and put our own spin on it.’ And then, ta da! It’s finished and done.”
Since Panettiere has been quite open in recent years about her own battle with drug and alcohol addiction, it was too personal for her “Nashville” character to also have an alcoholism plotline. She said that working 12- to 20-hour days on the “Nashville” set had a negative impact on her health.
She added, “I didn’t have time to take care of myself, to think about, and go through the pain I was going through, both emotionally and physically.” “All I wanted to do was watch amazing shows and dumb television.” Anything to divert my thoughts from it, as I knew I would be returning to it the following day. I was crying uncontrollably. I can’t even recall ever crying as much during a soap opera as I did during “Nashville.”
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Panettiere disclosed to People magazine in 2022 that a team member had administered “happy pills” to her prior to red carpet appearances when she was 15 years old, detailing her lengthy struggle with alcoholism and opioid addiction. The actor’s dependency subsequently deteriorated.
Panettiere stated, “They were to give me energy for interviews” in reference to the pills she was instructed to take as an adolescent. “I was completely unaware that this was inappropriate and that it might open a door for me in regards to my addiction.”
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As a youth, Panettiere appeared in soap operas and the critically acclaimed Disney football drama “Remember the Titans,” which also featured Denzel Washington. At the age of 16, she rose to prominence with her starring role on the NBC drama series “Heroes,” and her supporting performance as Kirby in “Scream 4” made her a fan favorite in the horror genre. The previous year, she reprised the role in “Scream VI.”
Panettiere stated, “I was on top of the world, but I ruined it.” “At first, I believe I’ve reached absolute bottom, but then that trap door opens…There have been many ups and downs throughout this difficult journey. However, not even the most abhorrent occurrences that have befallen me are regretted. I am extraordinarily accomplished. “Additionally, I feel as though I am granted a second chance.”