Hayden Panettiere Comes Out as “Bisexual” at 36… “After Years of Being Forced to Be Perfect, I Finally Confessed”

Hollywood actor Hayden Panettiere openly confessed her sexual identity to the public and announced the start of a new chapter in her life.

■ “In my childhood, I had to be perfect… I was afraid it would look like a trend”

In an interview with the U.S. entertainment outlet Us Weekly (as of June 6 local time), Panettiere officially revealed that she is bisexual. This is one of the key elements in her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, set to be published on the 19th.

When asked why she waited until she was 36 to disclose this, she replied, “Because I couldn’t find the right time to share it with the world.” She added, “I debuted when I was too young, so I lived with the obsession that I always had to be perfect, and I wasn’t encouraged to live as my true self.” She also confessed her internal conflict, saying, “During the time when celebrities’ coming-outs spread like a ‘trend,’ I was afraid that even if I told the truth, it would seem like I was just riding the wave.”

■ She revealed that she once dated women… “I found the courage because I didn’t want to hide it”

Panettiere also admitted that she has experience dating women in the past. She said, “I’ve explored relationships with women, but I didn’t have the emotional courage to fully immerse myself because I never shared this fact with anyone.” She went on to explain, “I didn’t want to be in a situation where I had to hide the relationship when I fell in love with someone.”

Then she said, “Now that the book is out and I’ve decided to let the world know, I feel comfortable and I can confidently say, ‘I’m bisexual.’ This is the first time I’ve said it out loud,” expressing a sense of liberation.

■ The truth behind a glamorous dating history… “Comfort for those who face the same challenges, before it gets too late”

Hayden Panettiere has spent the past decade or so repeating the cycle of dating and breaking up with her former fiancé, boxing champion Vladimir Klichko, and they have a daughter, Kaya (11). In addition, her dating history—mostly with men—has been widely known to the public, including fellow actor Milo Ventimiglia and Stephen Colletti.

About the memoir, she said, “I hope readers will laugh and cry—and, above all, feel inspired.” She added, “I want my journey to be a small comfort for those who are facing challenges similar to mine.”

From a cheerleader on the TV series Heroes to a singer on Nashville, and now showing up as her authentic self, fans and Hollywood colleagues are cheering her on, saying, “It’s been late, but it’s the most courageous choice.”