Hayden Panettiere reveals shocking boat incident at age 18

Hayden Panettiere is revisiting a painful memory from her teenage years as she opens up about a harrowing experience.

During her recent appearance, the actress discussed a traumatic chapter from her upcoming memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.

In her interview with Jay Shetty on the latest episode of On Purpose, she reflected on how a trusted person led her into a deeply disturbing situation.

She stated, “The fact that I was 18, 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 what, 25, 26?”

She explained that her “perspective completely shifted” once she realized she was “in danger,” adding, “I was quite literally out to sea.”

The former child star further described the betrayal as especially painful because the situation was orchestrated by “somebody that I had grown to trust and see as a protector.”

“That lion in me, that fire in me … my hair stood on end and I became ferocious,” she said. “I was like, ‘This is not happening.’ ”

Notably, This Is Me: A Reckoning is set for release on May 19.

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