Hayden Panettiere Shares Her Struggle With Opioid & Alcohol Addiction

Hayden Panettiere has found the peace she’s yearned for in her journey to sobriety.
 
The 32-year-old recently opened up about her past struggles with alcoholism and an opioid addiction. “I was on top of the world and I ruined it,” she told People. “I’d think I hit rock bottom, but then there’s that trap door that opens.”
 
The former child star said she was just 15 when someone offered her “happy pills” before walking red carpets. “They were to make me peppy during interviews,” she recalled. “I had no idea that this was not an appropriate thing, or what door that would open for me when it came to my addiction.”
 
And while she struggled personally, professionally, she was thriving, landing the starring role in Heroes at just 16. “My saving grace is that I couldn’t be messy while on set and working,” she explained. “But things kept getting out of control [off set]. And as I got older, the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn’t live without.”