Hayden Panettiere has made a startling allegation in her new memoir, claiming that an Oscar-winning actor exposed himself to her at a party in Los Angeles when she was 19 years old.
The Incident
In her book This Is Me: A Reckoning, the Heroes star, now 36, recounts an uncomfortable encounter at a party hosted by a friend. She recalls feeling uneasy among a group of mostly older men, deciding to trust her instincts and leave. At that moment, she says she was approached by the unnamed actor.
'Well, have a good night,' the actor reportedly said. 'Just be careful when you leave because someone spit their gum out somewhere, and I got some on my pants.' He then directed her attention downward, saying, 'Look here... There's a big wad of gum on my pants.'
Panettiere writes: 'I looked down and recoiled. This well-respected, award-winning actor's testicles were hanging out from his unzipped fly.' She quickly left the gathering and did not speak of the incident to anyone at the time.
Reflections on Hollywood
The actress, also known for Nashville, reflected that until that moment, men in Hollywood had generally been respectful. 'There may have been a peck on the lips here and an inappropriate comment there, but nothing had crossed a line,' she wrote. She described the incident as a 'head-scratcher,' believing it was a drunken joke, but admitted she was shocked.
Another Disturbing Memory
Panettiere also details a similar situation later in the book, involving the same friend who invited her to the party. On a yacht trip in France, she claims her friend forced her to get into bed with a naked famous man.
This Is Me: A Reckoning is now available in bookstores.
