Hayden Panettiere is reflecting on one of the most talked-about relationships from her early Hollywood years.

While promoting her new memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, the former Heroes star addressed her past romance with co-star Milo Ventimiglia, who was 30 when they began dating while she was just 18.

The pair met while filming the hit NBC superhero drama Heroes, where Panettiere played Claire Bennet and Ventimiglia portrayed Peter Petrelli. Their off-screen relationship quickly became a major topic among fans during the show’s peak popularity in the late 2000s.

Hayden Says They Had More in Common Than People Thought

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Panettiere admitted she now looks at the situation differently as the mother of an 11-year-old daughter.

Still, the actress explained that at the time, she believed the relationship felt natural because of how closely they worked together and how familiar her family was with Ventimiglia.

“I was working with him all the time. My family knew him well,” she said, adding that despite the 12-year age gap, they connected on a deeper level than outsiders may have realized.

Panettiere also said her loved ones would never have accepted the relationship if they believed it was inappropriate or unsafe.

Relationship Nearly Led to Marriage

In another recent interview with Us Weekly, Panettiere revealed she once believed the romance would eventually lead to marriage.

However, she admitted there were emotional differences between them that became difficult to ignore over time. She recalled struggling to openly express “I love you,” something she later realized reflected her own discomfort and emotional uncertainty at such a young age.

According to Panettiere, Ventimiglia eventually ended the relationship, although the breakup briefly reversed after her emotional reaction.

Actress Also Shares Disturbing Teen Experience

Elsewhere during her memoir press tour, Panettiere opened up about a frightening incident she allegedly experienced as a teenager while aboard a yacht.

Speaking on Jay Shetty’s podcast, she claimed someone she trusted led her into a room where a famous man was waiting undressed.

Panettiere said she immediately sensed danger and escaped the situation before spending the rest of the night hiding on the boat.

The actress has recently become more candid about the pressures, relationships, and difficult experiences she faced growing up in the entertainment industry, with fans praising her willingness to speak openly about her past.