Panettiere also became a favorite among horror audiences after appearing as Kirby Reed in Scream 4. More than a decade later, she returned to the character in Scream VI in 2023.
Yet behind the professional success, Panettiere experienced deeply personal struggles that she eventually chose to discuss publicly. She spoke candidly about alcoholism, opioid addiction, postpartum depression, and the difficult journey toward recovery.
During a 2022 interview with Good Morning America, she explained how difficult it had become to separate different aspects of what she was experiencing.
“I didn’t know where the alcoholism was ending and the postpartum was beginning. And I ran myself pretty ragged.”
