Actress Hayden Panettiere has publicly voiced her support for Paris Jackson following candid discussions from both women about their respective battles with addiction and recovery.
During an appearance on The Morning Show on Thursday, May 28, Panettiere, 36, was asked whether she related to issues Paris Jackson had recently addressed publicly. The Heroes alum offered high praise for the daughter of late pop icon Michael Jackson.
"I actually just saw Paris and she's an incredible person, incredibly strong. To see somebody who's also battled addiction and made it through — she's such a powerful, beautiful person," Panettiere said on The Morning Show. She added, "And you would think… I mean growing up with a family the way that she has and now that she's you know, putting her music out there, it's just… I'm really proud of her."
Panettiere's comments came in response to Paris Jackson's recent appearance on Jack Osbourne's "Trying Not to Die" podcast on Tuesday, May 26, where the 28-year-old musician discussed the behavioral changes she experienced during periods of alcohol use.
"The behavior is really ugly. It's really ugly behavior in a moral way, because I was raised to be kind — and not nice," Paris Jackson said during the podcast appearance. "I could give a s**t about being nice — but being kind and looking people in the eye and asking the waiter their name so you can write it down on the receipt later, just little things of, just like, how do you treat people?"
Paris Jackson elaborated on how alcohol affected her character, stating, "What happens when I drink is that goes away. That goes right out the window and I become a very vindictive person."
The exchange between the two women highlights a broader conversation about addiction recovery in the public eye. Panettiere herself has been forthcoming about her own struggles, recently detailing her experiences in her new memoir, This Is Me: The Reckoning.
The Nashville star shared with Us Weekly earlier this month how eight months in rehabilitation — her third treatment stint — proved transformative in her recovery journey.
"It was time. I finally had the time to stay in treatment and let my brain re-heal and rewire itself and a lot of that is just simply time. I had never stayed in treatment that long," Panettiere told Us Weekly. "I would make these small leaps and little by little. And I remember getting to about eight months and going, 'Oh my gosh, now I know what they mean when they say "gotten over the hump."'"
Panettiere emphasized the value of sustained recovery work, noting, "Even though it takes patience and you hit walls, and there's nothing about it that's easy, it is so worth it. There's no drug in the world that can recreate the feeling of genuine health and happiness and contentment, being content."
The mutual support between Panettiere and Paris Jackson underscores the importance of community and shared experience in navigating the challenges of addiction recovery. Both women have chosen to speak openly about their struggles, potentially offering hope and solidarity to others facing similar battles.
