Featured Image Credit: People via YouTube
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV
Callum Jones
A representative for Hayden Panettiere has spoken out amid concern for the actor following a recent interview where she appeared to slur her words.
The singer recently sat down with PEOPLE for an interview, where she talked about numerous topics, including the loss of her brother, Jansen Panettiere, last year.
In one clip, the mum-of-one is speaking about her daughter, Kaya, describing her as being 'just like her'.
However, many were concerned with the 35-year-old's demeanour as in the clips, Panettiere seemingly struggled to pronounce her words and have some slurred speech.
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And many fans flocked to the comments section of the Instagram post to voice their concerns - with many asking PEOPLE to 'take the video down'.
"Can someone please take this video down. Hayden clearly is struggling here. This is exploitation. Remove this video immediately," one person claimed.
"The internet has spoken. This video should be removed," a second added, while a third remarked that it was 'heartbreaking to watch'.
Meanwhile, a fourth quipped: "This is hard to watch. Someone should have stopped this interview or at least stopped recording."
A fifth said: "This is so painful. Y’all are wrong for leaving this up."
However, Panettiere's representative has since spoken up amidst the backlash.
The representative spoke to Page Six, telling the publication that for the singer 'speaking about her brother for the first time was very emotional for her', adding: "It had been a long and exhausting day for her. She was not under the influence."
Meanwhile, a source close to the actor also claimed to Page Six that her team 'was on set for the duration of the shoot', while Panettiere 'fully cooperated' during the video interview.
UNILAD has reached out to Panettiere's representatives and PEOPLE for further comment.
The Nashville actor has previously opened up about her struggles with addiction in separate interviews with PEOPLE and Good Morning America.
Speaking to GMA, she said she was only 15 years old when someone on her team began to offer her 'happy pills', but she didn't realize 'what door that would open'.
Panettiere then said that things 'kept getting out of control', adding: "And as I got older, the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn't live without.
"I felt like I was walking blind. And I don't like to ask for help either. I wanna be that strong, stoic woman.
"But, I mean, when you see a happy-go-lucky girl for years suddenly on the floor in a puddle of mess and alcohol, you gotta know something is wrong."