Hayden Panettiere

Hayden Panettiere was an American actor, singer, and activist best known for her breakout role as Claire Bennet on Heroes (2006) and her acclaimed turn as Juliette Barnes on Nashville (2012), building a career defined by emotionally intense performances across television and film. In May 2026, she came out publicly as bisexual around the release of her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, explaining in interviews that industry pressure to appear "perfect" and fear of being seen as jumping on a trend had kept her from sharing her identity sooner. She said she had been attracted to women since a young age and had dated women in the past, but only felt ready to speak openly at 36, after writing the memoir. Alongside her coming-out, Panettiere has continued to speak candidly about mental health, addiction, trauma, and recovery, as well as her longstanding advocacy around domestic violence, deepening her connection with audiences who relate to her honesty. She was now one of the most visible bisexual public figures to have come out in the mainstream entertainment press.