Why She Waited Until Now
Panettiere explained that she never felt it was 'the right time' to share her bisexuality publicly. When she was young, she was 'forced to be perfect at all times' and 'not encouraged to just be myself.' She also noted a period when women coming out as bisexual seemed like a fad, and she feared being perceived as 'jumping on the bandwagon.' The pressure from her team and public opinion also contributed to her hesitation, making it 'a very difficult topic to articulate properly.'
The Memoir as Catalyst
The decision to come out came during the two-year process of writing her memoir 'This Is Me: A Reckoning.' Panettiere said that while writing, she didn't initially know what subjects she would feel comfortable addressing, but when her attraction to women naturally came up in the narrative, she decided to include it. She committed to being 'completely brutally honest' about this aspect of her identity that she was 'never able to share with the world.'
Dating Women and Privacy Concerns
Panettiere clarified that she has dated women over the years and was attracted to women since childhood. However, she described her experiences as 'scary' because paparazzi constantly followed her and she had very little privacy. This lack of privacy prevented her from fully committing emotionally to women, as she didn't want to hide a romantic relationship or have to deny her feelings if she fell in love.
Comfort and Relief
Now that the memoir is being released and she has publicly disclosed her bisexuality, Panettiere expressed feeling 'comfortable' and 'confident' to say the words out loud for the first time. She acknowledged it was 'sad' that she had to wait until age 36 to share this part of herself, but concluded 'better late than never.' 
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