After months of speculation and denials, People Magazine reports that 30-year-old Milo Ventimiglia and his Heroes co-star, 18-year-old Hayden Panettiere, are more than friends.
It looks like Milo Ventimiglia and Hayden Panettiere are an item after all.
According to People Magazine's JENNIFER GARCIA & STEPHEN M. SILVERMAN, the Heroes co-stars either have been in denial for three months or just thought they were fooling the watchful public about a fairly obvious development.
The first signs came in September, when the pair got cozy at an Emmy Awards bash. After that, they spent a lot of time dodging rumors that they were dating.
When asked shortly before Thanksgiving about the reports of his possible romance with Panettiere, Ventimiglia said, "She and I are close friends. It's only natural that people are going to couple us together."
Is it so natural? After all, at 30, Milo is technically old enough to be Hayden’s dad (and, in fact, plays her uncle on Heroes). But, despite that, the Panettiere clan gave him their blessing when they all hung out together during a December trip to New York City.
"He's even met her grandparents," a family friend told People Mag. "He fits in perfectly with the family. Hayden's mom adores Milo. She tells her friends that he's her boyfriend."
As for that generation gap, the friend admitted, "At first it doesn't seem like there's a big age difference, but then you do see it. He's more proper and reserved, and she's still playful and very girly."
A rep for Hayden said: "We do not respond to inquiries from the media regarding Ms. Panettiere's personal life."
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