Panettiere: Child Stars Need 'Reality Checks' (VIDEO)
Hayden Panettierre is the latest celebrity to address the dangers of being a child star during a recent interview.
The 23-year-old actress has been working in show business since the age of six, making her an expert on the subject.
With former child stars such as Amanda Bynes and Lindsay Lohan embroiled in legal battles and Twitter rants, the issue of growing up in the spotlight has many people talking today.
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"I'm no different to anyone else and those same doors were opened to me and they are very easy to walk through," said Panettiere speaking to the BBC's "BBC Breakfast" on Friday morning.
The "Nashville" star went on to reveal that both drugs and alcohol were offered to her as a young child, but that her friends and family saved her from those dangers.
"Drugs, alcohol, you know, being in inappropriate places that you shouldn't be at a certain age…," recounted Panettiere, who appeared in the film "Remember the Titans" and "Guiding Light" as a child.
"And it's a very tough position to be in, but I had great people to pull me back from it," she added.
Panettiere then imparted her advice for young stars: keep honest and down-to-earth people around you.
"As long as you have people who are willing to tell you the truth and who are not afraid to tell you the truth, and who are there to yank you back when you need it and give you a reality check, it makes a world of difference," said the starlet.
Watch a video from the BBC interview here.
Meanwhile, Panettiere has made headlines over the past weeks over her rumored engagement to heavy weight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.
However, during this year's Billboard Music Awards, the actress denied the gossip, saying: "No ring."
Despite an unclear denial of not having received an engagement ring, a source said that Panettiere and her boyfriend are secretly engaged.
"Very few people know, and she isn't wearing her ring publicly yet," said an insider at Us Weekly in March.
Nevertheless, the actress seems happy to be back with her boyfriend- the pair had split up in May 2011, but were apart just four months before reconciling.
