English singer James Blunt has pushed back after online speculation linked him to a disturbing incident described by American actress Hayden Panettiere in her memoir.
Panettiere wrote about an unsettling experience involving a “very famous” man on a boat when she was 18.
After her death earlier this month, internet users began speculating about the man’s identity. Some pointed to Blunt after old photos showed the two together on a boat.
However, Blunt publicly rejected the speculation by sharing an article that challenged the theory. Journalist Dean Piper pointed out that the timeline did not match Panettiere’s account, noting that photos linking her to Blunt came from 2009, when she was nearly 20.
The article also argued that details of their interaction did not match the experience Panettiere described in her memoir.
The singer did not offer a lengthy statement of his own. Instead, he used the article to make his position clear as the speculation spread online.