Hayden Panettiere Credits Ex Stephen Colletti as Her Fame Bodyguard

Hayden Panettiere just revealed that her ex Stephen Colletti was basically her personal celebrity protector back when she was navigating the absolute chaos of early 2000s fame. The Heroes actress opened up about how the Laguna Beach star — who she dated for nearly two years in the mid-aughts — was “very protective” of her during those wild years when she was still figuring out how to handle the Hollywood machine.

“He was my hero,” Panettiere gushed, giving major props to Colletti for showing up for her when she needed it most. While both were dealing with their own rising fame, Colletti apparently made sure she wasn’t navigating the insanity completely alone. Real recognize real.

The two dated back when MySpace was still relevant and paparazzi were actually trying to catch you in unflattering angles at Coffee Bean locations. They’ve both moved on to bigger things since then — Panettiere went full superhero mode with her career, and Colletti found his own lane — but clearly those days meant something to her.