Hayden Panettiere says that at age 18 she was sexually exploited after being guided into a room where an undressed, “very famous” male actor was present. In interviews tied to her upcoming memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” and on the “On Purpose With Jay Shetty” podcast, Panettiere recounts that someone she trusted and viewed as a protector brought her to the situation and told her to get into bed with the actor. Multiple outlets report that she attempted to resist, describing her reaction as bolting or trying to hide, and she says she felt there was “nowhere to hide.” Panettiere does not publicly identify the actor in the excerpts summarized by the outlets. The accounts describe the moment as traumatic and present her account as a warning about grooming and abuse of trust. Coverage also notes that Panettiere recounts the experience with emotional difficulty.