It was just announced that Hayden Panettiere's hit show "Nashville" has been canceled. And while hardcore fans of the show are rightly devastated, that's not even the most disheartening news surrounding the actress.
Panettiere took to Twitter yesterday to announce that she is voluntarily heading back into rehab for postpartum depression, after previously seeking treatment in October.
"The postpartum depression I have been experiencing has impacted every aspect of my life," she wrote. "Rather than stay stuck due to unhealthy coping mechanisms I have chosen to take time to reflect holistically on my health and life. Wish me luck!"
Mad props to the actress for not being afraid to ask for help when she needs it, and for continuing to be so vocal about her struggle with PPD—which has plagued her since giving birth to daughter Kaya in December 2014.
In January at the Critics' Choice Awards, Panettiere opened up about the relief she felt after sharing her struggle. "I'm 26 years old. I'm a mom," she said. "I don't need to be afraid of what people are going to think. I saw how much people rallied behind me when I was honest, and I didn't know that honesty could be such a gift."
In a crazy parallel, Panettiere's "Nashville" character, country singer Juliette Barnes, also battled postpartum depression on the show. "It's definitely interesting how much it has mirrored my life," she told Us Weekly in March. "The way I do things is to pull from my own personal experience and sometimes even turn myself into what I'm portraying so that I can pull from my life and step into that person's shoes by being able to relate."
Whether or not this is art imitating life imitating art, we're just glad this mama is brave enough to seek the help she needs. Best of luck, Hayden!
Hollee Actman Becker is a freelance writer, blogger, and a mom. Check out her website holleeactmanbecker.com for more, and then follow her on Twitter at @holleewoodworld.
