Personal life

In 2006, Panettiere began dating Stephen Colletti, the former Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, star.[21] The couple broke up in September 2007.[22] In December 2007, it was widely reported that she was dating her Heroes co-star Milo Ventimiglia,[23][24] though Panettiere denied these reports in an interview with GQ.[25] These reports continued through the early part of 2008,[26][27] and several sources had reported that she asked Ventimiglia to move in with her.[28][29][30] In April 2008, during an interview on the BBC's The Chris Moyles Show to promote the second season of Heroes, Ventimiglia confirmed that he is dating Panettiere.[31]


[edit] Activism
On October 31, 2007, Panettiere joined with Sea Shepherd to try to disrupt the annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Wakayama, Japan. She was involved in a confrontation between Japanese fishermen and five other surfers from Australia and the United States (including former Home and Away star Isabel Lucas) of the group. The confrontation lasted more than ten minutes before the surfers were forced to return to the beach, after which they left the country.[32] The fishermen consider the condemnation as an attack on their culture.[33]

Panettiere told E! News that an arrest warrant has been issued in Japan for her interference in the dolphin hunt but her claim was later dismissed as not true by the Japanese Fisheries Agency.[34][35] In November 2007, she was awarded the "Compassion in Action Award" from the animal rights group PETA for her efforts to stop the dolphin hunt in Japan.[36] She is also a vegetarian.[37][38] Her activism was, however, criticized by most of the Japanese media since the public regarded this as an offense to their culture (see Taiji, Wakayama for details).

On January 28, 2008, Panettiere handed a letter of protest to the Norwegian ambassador in the United States arguing that Norway should stop its hunt for whales. She also delivered a letter to the Japanese ambassador calling for the end of Japan's hunting of whales.

In 2007, Panettiere became an official supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their celebrity board, called the Friends of RMHC.[39]

In May 2008, Panettiere was involved in an eBay auction to benefit SaveTheWhalesAgain.com. The auction included tickets to a fundraising dinner hosted at the Hollywood restaurant Beso, owned by Eva Longoria Parker, and a whale watching tour, with Panettiere, off the coast of Santa Barbara.[40] The same month, during an interview with Teen Vogue, Hayden explained how her fame gives her a platform for her activism: "The show [Heroes] put me in a place to speak for things that I'm passionate about."[41]

In October 2008, Panettiere delved into the activities of the presidential election. Panettiere released a public service announcement through the website Funny or Die. In this video Panettiere mocks John McCain in a satirical tone on the subjects of his age and anger.[42] She subsequently made clear her intention to vote for Barack Obama, and urged other young people to vote.[43]