Hayden Panettiere opened up about her battle with postpartum depression during a Thursday, January 5, appearance on Good Morning America, saying that she believes her struggles have made her “a better mom.” Listen to what she had to say in the video above!
“It takes you a while. You feel off. You don’t feel like yourself,” the Nashville actress, 27, told GMA’s Lara Spencer. “But, you know, women are so resilient, and that’s the incredible thing about them. I think I’m all the stronger for it. I think I’m a better mom because of it. Because you never take that connection for granted.”
As previously reported, Panettiere — who shares daughter Kaya, 2, with Ukrainian boxer fiancé Wladimir Klitschko — sought treatment for her postpartum depression in October 2015, nearly one year after giving birth to her little girl. In May 2016, she revealed via Twitter that she was still suffering from the disorder and took time off from work to “reflect holistically.”
According to the “Wake Up Call” singer, she currently feels better than ever and is thrilled to be back to work on season 5 of Nashville, which is now airing on CMT after four seasons on ABC. Panettiere told Spencer that playing country starlet Juliette Barnes (who has also grappled with postpartum depression) has helped her get through the tough times.
“I’m feeling fabulous,” she enthused. “I’m so glad to be back playing Juliette. Everything that she’s been through … she made me stronger.”
The Heroes alum continued: “It helped me identify and let women know that it’s OK to ask for help, and that it’s OK to have a moment of weakness, and it doesn’t make you a bad person — it doesn’t make you a bad mother. It makes you a very strong, resilient woman. You got to let it make you stronger.”
Back in December, Panettiere spoke to Parade magazine about her life as a mother and how Kaya’s safety is her No. 1 priority. “I can’t say that anything is typical or ‘the norm’ about any day of the week now that I’m the mom of a 2-year-old,” she explained. “She gets her hands in just about everything, and my biggest job at the moment is keeping her alive!”
Watch Panettiere’s GMA interview in the video above.
