Hayden Panettiere’s memoir exposes abuse in Hollywood

Months before her sudden death, actress Hayden Panettiere opened up about the inappropriate and at times predatory behavior she experienced in Hollywood, including a time a supposed friend left her in bed with a naked man when she was only a teenager.

Panettiere, known for her roles in “Heroes” and “Nashville,” died unexpectedly at age 36 on Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina. According to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, emergency medical services discovered the actress “unresponsive” and in cardiac arrest after responding to a 911 call.

On May 19, three months before her death, Panettiere released a memoir titled This Is Me: A Reckoning.

“I’ve been in this industry for my entire life, and there’ve been a lot of stories and preconceived ideas of who I am since I was about — that really started at 16 years old,” Panettiere told Entertainment Weekly before the book’s May 19 release.

“I get to tell people the truth. I get to tell them what really happened, and what really happened is generally more entertaining than anything that anyone could come up with,” she continued.

While the actress shared details about her sexuality and drug addiction, which began when she was 16, Panettiere’s memoir also highlighted several instances in which she was preyed upon or subjected to sexual harassment.

Here are three moments from Hayden Panettiere’s memoir that highlight the predatory nature of Hollywood.