Thursday January 10, 2008
Hayden Panettiere and Milo Ventimiglia spend a romantic afternoon together watching the movie "Atonement" on January 6, 2008.
Ramey Photo
The romance between Heroes stars Hayden Panettiere and Milo Ventimiglia has been an open secret for months – in part because of their 12-year age gap. (Check out more pictures of their first public date here.)
"They were tired of avoiding questions and of all of the effort of keeping it secretive," a Panettiere source tells Us Weekly in its new issue, on newsstands now.
Panettiere, 18, who plays Ventimiglia's niece on the hit show, was also worried about her reputation. "She didn't want people thinking she is a 'ho' because she jumped from one relationship into another," a source close to her tells Us.
Indeed, Ventimiglia, 30, had a crush on his co-star since she was dating Stephen Colletti. "He always had a crush, but really let her know the minute she broke up with Stephen," a source says.
Since Panettiere still leaves with her mom, it's a good thing, a source tells Us, that Ventimiglia has her approval. "Milo is such a good guy, honest and sweet," says a source. Besides, says another source, "She is really like a 30-year-old."
Check out the latest Us Weekly for more on Hayden and Milo as well as other Hollywood guys who like teen girls.
Tell Us: Are Hayden and Milo a good match?
Join Us on
Facebook and
Twitter for even more up to the minute celebrity news and photos!