Hayden Panettiere ended his “very uncomfortable” relationship with Connie Britton on the “Nashville” set.
Panettiere, 36, said in his new memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” that his character was never intended to be the star of the show, or even close to it.
He added: “That honor goes to Connie. Rayna James is in the twilight of her career and you are the reason she has made such a dramatic turn.”
Panettiere played country star Juliette Barnes and Britton, 59, played rival singer Rayna James in the series, which aired from 2012 to 2018.
“Unfortunately, after the pilot, it was clear that the bill was going up significantly,” the “Heroes” alum recalled. “I went from probably fifth place in terms of importance to following Connie.”
She recalled that she felt “very uncomfortable with this development.”
She explained that her former co-star Britton was a “three-time Emmy nominee in her 40s” and “also a new mom.”
Panettiere wrote, “I was 23…this should have been her time to shine, and in many ways it was, but I was afraid to make Connie worry that I was trying to compete with her and not with my character.”
She said she once tried to make it clear she had no intention of “stepping in” with Britton.
The former soap star recalled, “We were instructed to walk unsteadily towards the microphone stand and at the same time reach out to grab it. This would hint at the rivalry between the characters.”
“I always tried to hold the microphone under Connie’s hand to show her that I came with peace and respect. I don’t know if she noticed, but I did.”
A representative for Britton did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
Panettile’s memoir, which also features ex-boyfriend Milo Ventimiglia and other celebrities, hits stores about a year after she spoke to Entertainment Weekly about working with Britton.
When Panettiere’s character acted “very passive-aggressive” toward Britton in their first scene together, she “kept apologizing”.
She recalls in 2025: “[I was]like, ‘I’m so sorry!'” It was our first time together and I didn’t want to step on any toes. Sometimes it gets real, very real, you know? ”
Panettiere declared that Britton was “great” and “very supportive,” adding, “Sometimes it was hard to play with that competitive spirit, where we were at odds and against each other.”
