Hayden Panettiere’s ‘Nashville’ Character Helped Expose Country Music’s Dark Side

When Hayden Panettiere ’s character Juliette Barnes stood up against the unwanted advances of a DJ during the second season of Nashville , the disturbing reality of how many women experience sexual harassment in the world of country radio was an open, but still mostly buried, secret. Barnes’ experience with the sleazy Bobby Delmont was a core plot point of the season that illustrated how women are often expected to get cozy, endure advances, or worse in hopes of getting their song played — and yet still end up battling with other female artists for the one coveted spot.

Panettiere, who died on Aug. 16 , handled the character’s arc with artful care. In an episode titled “She’s Got You” that first aired on Nov. 13, 2013, Juliette has an encounter with Bobby — known as “Santa Claus” in the industry, due to how he expects young female artists to sit on his lap — and stands up to his advances. When Bobby reaches for her waist, she speaks up. “Please take your hands off of me,” she says, after which the DJ approaches an up-and-coming female artist, Layla Grant, and pulls her into his arms while he makes a joke about the size of his microphone.

Juliette is ultimately able to have the DJ fired, but not without repercussions: He smears her name on social media. Worse still, when she tries to look out for Layla (“Anybody treats you like a whore, you make sure to come tell me,” she tells her), Juliette realizes the advice is unwelcome — and just how deeply embedded the misogyny and competition among other women truly is.

It was an impactful depiction for both aspiring and established female country artists in Nashville . “The show was known for its dramatic storylines, but anyone who has been that close to the country music industry knows that it deeply resembled actual events that occur every day,” says the artist Kalie Shorr, who helped lead a #TimesUp movement in Nashville . “Her bravery in taking on a character that was going to confront so many ugly truths about the industry deserves to be remembered. She held up a mirror to the city of Nashville, and I truly believe it forced the industry’s hand to become a safer place for women. Scripted shows and movies have a rare opportunity to do that because they can tell a story without naming names, but every girl in Nashville — and I’m sure, Hayden herself — knew what the names were.” Editor’s picks The 250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century

The series creator, Callie Khouri, was intentional about her decision to make Nashville a platform for such important discussions, well beyond the entertainment value. “We wanted to show what it’s really like for young artists going out into the world where something is expected of them. If you want your record played, this is what you do,” Khouri told Rolling Stone . “People don’t talk about it, and they don’t want to name names.”

Before Taylor Swift came forward with her experiences and #metoo sparked a movement, Panettiere’s depiction of the realities that face women at country radio was a gateway to discussions that were long overdue.