Hayden Panettiere is looking back at her romance with Stephen Colletti, nearly 20 years after they dated.
If you didn’t know, the 36-year-old Nashville actress and the 40-year-old One Tree Hill actor dated for nearly two years after being linked in 2006. They went their separate ways by the end of 2007.
In a new interview with Us Weekly, Hayden looked back fondly at her relationship with Stephen, who she said was “very protective.”
“I’m so grateful that he was part of my life, especially when he was,” Hayden shared. “Because when I was with him was when I started having to deal with paparazzi and tabloids and being the focal point of them.”
She went on to say that because of Stephen‘s time on the MTV reality show Laguna Beach, that type of attention was “something he had dealt with before.”
“[He] was able to help guide me through that experience and getting used to that,” Hayden shared, adding that Stephen was “very protective of me.”
The Heroes alum also noted that Stephen handled the press “very diplomatically.”
“He never appeared to be [or] came off as a bad guy,” Hayden recalled. “So I knew that there was a way to protect yourself and put up boundaries without being offensive or rude.”
As for their breakup, Hayden said, “We just ended up going our separate ways, there wasn’t really a story there. Like, no drama.”
The Scream actress reiterated that “there was really no story” surrounding their split, adding with a laugh, “It was so peaceful and kind.”
Hayden also revealed that she recently “ran into him for the first time in ages” and it was a pleasant interaction.
“I think he’s about to become a dad and I’m so happy for him,” Hayden said. “We don’t keep in touch the way that I wish we did, because he’s such a great guy, but there was no drama.”
Also in the new interview, Hayden opened up about her sexuality, revealing that she’s dated women.
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