James Blunt Denies Being the ‘Very Famous Undressed Man’ in Hayden Panettiere’s Yacht Story on Her Memoir

The rumors resurfaced after Panettiere's passing, as old photos of her and Blunt together in 2009 recirculated online. Journalist Dean Piper argues the timeline simply doesn't add up.

James Blunt is setting the record straight. Following the death of Hayden Panettiere less than two weeks ago, rumors arose that the 52-year-old singer-songwriter was the "undressed" and "very famous" man the actress found herself in bed with on a yacht when she was just 18.

Earlier this week, Blunt shared a link to journalist Dean Piper's August 23 Substack article on X, which pushes back on claims that Blunt is the unnamed man Panettiere referenced in her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning."

Panettiere described the man as a "famous thirtysomething British singer-songwriter."

In his piece, titled "Hayden Panettiere and James Blunt – An Internet Lynching," Piper explained that he had previously written about Panettiere and Blunt at the amfAR charity event in Cannes back in 2009.

"They'd arrived together, had been flirty throughout and had gone to the afterparty together," Piper recalled. "They were photographed on a boat the next day, smiling and having fun."

More than a decade later, those same photos of Blunt and Panettiere resurfaced and fueled speculation that the "Carry You Home" singer was the man from her memoir. But Piper insists the timeline of their encounter doesn't hold up.

"Guys, it only takes the smallest of AI searches to find out that in May 2009, when the pictures of Blunt and Panettiere were taken, she was 19, almost 20," Piper said. "So, if the incident happened when she was 18, Blunt's not your guy to start with."

Piper further notes that in Panettiere's account of the disturbing encounter, she says she fled the room and hid elsewhere on the boat — a detail he believes contradicts the idea that she and Blunt were later seen together socializing.

"It takes nothing to work out that the cabin incident was the first and last time she met the man," he wrote. "So, pictures of Blunt and Panettiere at the amfAR charity event and together on the boat again the next day mean only one thing – he's really not your man."

Back in May, Panettiere opened up about the yacht incident during an appearance on the "On Purpose with Jay Shetty" podcast. She recalled believing she was in for a fun night out on a boat with friends, only to be caught "by surprise" and left feeling "in danger."

The "Nashville" star said she was led by someone she "had grown to trust and see as a protector" down a staircase and into a "very small" room. "She physically put me in the bed next to this undressed man who was very famous," she remembered.

"Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" alum Diana Jenkins later denied rumors that she was the woman Panettiere described as putting her in bed, after fans dredged up the pair's formerly close friendship.

"Diana has had to deal with false online rumors before, and sadly this is just another example of that," Jenkins' spokesperson told TMZ. "So let me be 100 percent clear about this: It most certainly is not Diana, and anyone who claims it is her will be sued."

Panettiere passed away on Sunday, August 16, 2026, of an apparent overdose. She was 36 years old.