Hayden Panettiere opens up about a women’s health issue we don’t talk about enough
As Nashville diehards know, the fourth season of the Music City soap premiered last week, and in the series, Hayden Panettiere’s Juliette, who became a mom at the end of last season, subsequently struggled with postpartum depression.
As Entertainment Weekly reports, Panettiere visited Live! With Kelly and Michael this week to talk about the importance of this storyline.
“[Juliette] went through that, which is something that I can very much relate to, and something that I know a lot of women experience,” said Panettiere, who welcomed daughter Kaya to the world this past year. “It’s something, I think, that needs to be talked about, and women need to know that they’re not alone.”
Panettiere then acknowledged that there is “a lot of misunderstanding” surrounding the subject of postpartum depression. She recognizes that there are those who unfortunately “…think that it’s not real, that it’s not true, that it’s something that’s made up in their minds.”
It’s this absence of open dialogue that Panettiere and the Nashville team are fighting against with this storyline. Their aim seems to be two-fold, to both enlighten the misinformed and support women who are currently living with this condition.
“It’s something that’s completely uncontrollable, and it’s really painful and it’s really scary, and women need a lot of support,” Panettiere said.
She concluded by giving a huge shout out to the superhuman strength of women everywhere.
“Women are amazing,” Panettiere declared. “We do something that no man can do on this planet! I mean, we grow a human being in our bodies!”
We are so glad that Panettiere and her show are working to raise awareness about this deeply misunderstood condition. As of late, a few celebrities have been stepping up to the plate and using their personal experiences to shed light on family planning topics that are rarely discussed.
A few weeks ago Chrissy Teigen, and Tyra Banks spoke out about their difficulty conceiving, and Mark Zuckerberg spoke out this summer about this miscarriages his wife Priscilla experienced before she conceived their first child.
It’s so important to knock down the taboo surrounding the discussion of these subjects. Celebrities opting to be transparent about these issues opens the door and makes it easier for us all to talk about these things, and for that we are truly grateful.
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Image via ABC
