Hayden Panettiere has been writing her story “for about two years” and is ready to share it with the world.
Us Weekly can exclusively reveal the cover of Panettiere’s debut memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, which is set to be released on Tuesday, May 12. Panettiere, 36, stuns on the book jacket with her signature blue eyes staring at the camera, ready to tell her truth.
The actress told Us that it’s both “exciting and liberating” to know that people are going to read her story in her own words later this year.
“It’s certainly daunting to put my life on full display for the world to read,” Panettiere explained. “Writing a memoir wasn’t something I thought I’d do, or at least, not while I was still so young.”
The Heroes alum admitted that her “first thought was to say no” when asked to start writing her story — but something changed.
“I realized that for so many years of my life, with all of its twists and turns, everyone else was trying to tell my story for me,” she added. “This book is an opportunity for me to share my side of the story on my terms.”
Panettiere told Us that it was a “very cathartic” process, putting pen to paper and writing a book, but added that it was “exciting and scary at the same time.”
As for what readers can expect? Panettiere notes they will “laugh a little” and “cry a little.” But the most important thing is that the book will “hopefully, in its own way, help other people.”
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Panettiere made her acting debut as a baby, appearing in commercials before nabbing a role on soap opera One Life to Live in 1994. Panettiere’s fame continued to grow as she booked several TV and movie appearances, even appearing as Sheryl Yoast in the 2000 movie Remember the Titans. By 2006, the actress booked her starring role as Claire Bennet in Heroes. The show ended in 2010 and Panettiere made her debut as Juliette Barnes in Nashville two years later.
Panettiere took a four-year break from acting, starting in 2018 when Nashville came to an end. The actress told Us in April 2025 that it wasn’t a planned hiatus but one she “desperately needed.” Panettiere returned to the big screen in 2022, reprising her role as Kirby Reed in the Scream film franchise.
“Going through challenges is daunting enough in the spotlight where everyone feels entitled to the details of your life, but those challenges I’ve faced have made me stronger,” Panettiere further told Us about her book. “Every moment of our life and every person we meet along the way is a lesson.”
Aside from her return to acting, Panettiere has also been raising daughter Kaya, whom she welcomed in December 2014. Panettiere shares her daughter with ex Wladimir Klitschko.
“Though my circumstances may be different, the obstacles I’ve faced are no different than what many others face daily,” she concluded. “Our world could use more empathy and compassion, and I hope that my book ignites that in others — while also entertaining them, of course.”
This Is Me: A Reckoning will be released on Tuesday, May 12, via Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group.
