EXCLUSIVE: Hayden Panettiere 'Surprised' at Outpouring of Support after Seeking Postpartum Treatment
Hayden Panettiere is feeling the love after opening about her struggle with postpartum depression, and she couldn’t be happier for the support she's received.
Speaking with ET at the Critics' Choice Awards on Sunday, where the 26-year-old Nashville star was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Panettiere got candid about the outpouring of positive feedback she's received since entering treatment in October.
WATCH: Hayden Panettiere Seeking Treatment for Postpartum Depression
"I've gotten an incredible amount of support and I was actually really surprised cause I feel like I grew up in this industry that, in my mind, was very judgmental," explained Panettiere, who welcomed her first child, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, in December 2014 with husband Wladimir Klitschko.
"I didn't even look at social media," added Panettiere, who said that she used to feel as if people were "waiting" for her to fail. "Then, when I looked, people were like, 'Oh my gosh, good for you,' and I am so proud to be a spokesperson and a woman that people can look to and to know that they're not alone and they're not weak if they go and they seek help."
RELATED: Hayden Panettiere Says Motherhood Has Been an 'Out of Body' Experience
Panettiere, who took a leave of absence from filming Nashville when she sought treatment for depression, also opened up about what it was like making the transition back into active production.
"To be honest it was kind of a rocky start for me and especially emotionally," Panettiere shared. "The first scene that I did the other day when I saw certain people that I haven't seen in a while and I felt really comfortable -- I just lost it and I couldn't keep it together. So, it held us up for a second but we got it at the end."
For more on Panettiere's decision to seek help for her postpartum depression, check out the video below.
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