British singer James Blunt has addressed the rumours surrounding him and late actress Hayden Panettiere.

Following the tragic passing of the Heroes star, fans began dissecting her memoir, shining light on a particular chapter where Panettiere wrote about a disturbing encounter with a man on a boat.

In This Is Me: A Reckoning, Panettiere claimed she was led into a small cabin on a yacht by a trusted older female friend at age 18.

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She wrote about being physically placed into a bed next to an undressed, “very famous” British singer-songwriter in his thirties.

After her death at the age of 36, online sleuths began digging up old 2009 photographs of Panettiere and Blunt together in Cannes, claiming the British singer was the anonymous man in the story.

James Blunt has broken his silence about the Hayden Panettiere rumours. Credit: Getty, AAP

Social media comments quickly flooded Blunt’s accounts with wild accusations.

On Thursday, Blunt broke his silence by sharing an article on X written by journalist Dean Piper, which defends the singer and labels the online speculation an “internet lynching“.

Piper explained why Blunt couldn’t be the man Panettiere spoke about in her book and began by referencing an article he wrote about the pair in 2009.

“I wrote an article about Hayden Panettiere and James Blunt at the amfAR charity event in Cannes,” Piper wrote on SubStack.

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

“Since the sad death of Hayden, I’ve been contacted by a host of ‘internet sleuths’ asking for more details, for their ongoing ‘investigation’.”

Piper then recounts the yacht story from the memoir.

Hayden Panettiere’s memoir claims she was lured into a yacht by a female friend at the age of 18. Credit: Getty

“Hayden doesn’t name the man and doesn’t say if he was in on the whole thing, but simply told him, ‘this is not going to happen’,” Piper added.

“Whereupon she fled the room, packed her bags and left the boat for the safety of a hotel.”

Blunt has been bombarded with thousands of comments on social media, claiming he was the man in the yacht cabin.

“People are saying whatever they like and getting away with it and that is wrong,” Piper wrote.

Piper points out a timeline mismatch: the photos of Blunt and Panettiere together in Cannes were taken in May 2009 when she was 19 (nearly 20), whereas the book event supposedly happened when she was 18.

(L-R) James Blunt, Justin Long, Hayden Panettiere and Diana Jenkins attend the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS 2009 after party at the Hotel du Cap during the 62nd Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2009. Credit: Getty

“So, if the incident happened when she was 18, Blunt’s not your guy to start with,” Piper wrote.

In her memoir, Panettiere says she had never met the man before the incident and never saw him again.

This appears to contradict the documented timeline of her and Blunt hanging out and smiling on a boat the day after the amfAR charity event.

Hayden Panettiere and James Blunt on the boat the day after the amfAR event, according to Dean Piper’s article. Credit: SubStack

“And so, if Blunt’s not the man in question, the only other question is — who should the internet sleuths lynch next?” Piper said.

“Hopefully they’ll put the kettle on and take a breath before starting on their next victim.”

Tragic death of Hayden Panettiere

Actress Hayden Panettiere died at the aged of 36 with her team confirming the “tragic passing” on August 17.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” her representative confirmed to ABC News in the US.

“She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”

Panettiere started acting in commercials before transitioning to soap operas and child stardom in films like Remember the Titans.

Hayden Panettiere in Remember the Titans (left) and Heroes (right). Credit: IMDb

She achieved global fame as the indestructible cheerleader Claire Bennet in the NBC series Heroes and later earned Golden Globe nominations for starring as country star Juliette Barnes in Nashville.

Panettiere was found unresponsive and in cardiac arrest on August 16, at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

An initial preliminary autopsy showed no obvious signs of physical trauma or foul play. Officials are still awaiting complete toxicology and final autopsy reports, which can take several weeks.