It’s been years since Hayden Panettiere was on the big screen. But now that it’s been confirmed she’s signed on to a new role, the actress has opened up about how she turned her life around amid addiction and a toxic relationship.

In a candid interview with PEOPLE Magazine, Hayden revealed she was struggling with opioid and alcohol addiction after she developed postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter, Kaya, in 2014.

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"I was on top of the world, and I ruined it," Hayden, 32, explained. "I'd think I hit rock bottom, but then there's that trap door that opens."

Hayden said she’s “put in a lot of work” to overcome her addiction in the last year, including trauma therapy and in-patient treatment. “I feel incredibly accomplished,” she continued. “And I feel like I have a second chance."

Hayden Addresses Her Custody Situation & Toxic Relationship

During the interview, Hayden also opened up about her relationship with her daughter’s father, boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko. The pair began dating in 2009 and got engaged in 2013. However, they broke up in 2018.

The actress implied that her addiction as well as postpartum depression took a toll on their relationship.

"He didn't want to be around me," Hayden explained. "I didn't want to be around me. But with the opiates and alcohol I was doing anything to make me feel happy for a moment. Then I'd feel worse than I did before. I was in a cycle of self-destruction."

She also addressed her decision to allow her daughter to live primarily in the Ukraine with Wladimir, calling it the “hardest thing I ever had to do.” "But I wanted to be a good mom to her — and sometimes that means letting them go,” she explained.

Hayden went on to discuss her controversial relationship with Brian Hickerson. The couple dated for four years, beginning in 2018. However, Brian was arrested multiple times over the course of their relationship, including in 2019 and 2020 for domestic violence against Hayden.

"It was a very dark and complicated time in my life," Hayden said of the abusive relationship. "But a lot of women go through what I went through, and I want people to know it's okay to ask for help."

Fans can expect to see a lot more of Hayden in the near future. In May, it was confirmed she’ll be reprising her role as Kirby Reed in Scream 6. The last time she stepped into the role was for Scream 4 in 2011.

Sources: PEOPLE, Us Weekly,