US News

Hayden sure isn’t a Foxy Knoxy hater

Hayden Panettiere has gone from “hero” to a zero — defending a convicted murder ess.

The small-screen star recently rose to the defense of Amanda Knox, whom she plays in a Lifetime film Feb. 22 that has out raged the family and friends of Meredith Kercher, the roommate Knox and her boyfriend were convicted of killing in Italy, The London Sun reports.

“She’s not a malicious girl,” said Panettiere, formerly of NBC’s “Heroes.” “She didn’t have any intention to do this. This wasn’t an angry or dark girl. I believe in the person that she deep down was.”

Of Knox’s demeanor in court, she said: “She really tried to be as stoic and as brave as she could against all odds and I do commend her for it.”