Oh, is there a game going on? There was no shortage of excitement on the court at Sunday’s Miami Heat-Charlotte Bobcats matchup, but at least some of the action took place in the stands, where Hayden Panettiere was photographed with on-again boyfriend Wladimir Klitschko. The couple, who reunited in January after splitting in May 2011, couldn’t keep their hands off each other as they cheered the Heat to the team’s 26th-straight victory.
At one point during the March 24 game, Klitschko, 37, leaned in to plant a kiss on the 23-year-old Nashville star, who turned heads in a hot-pink halter top and jeans. She reciprocated by snaking an arm around his neck and pulling him closer.
The very public display of affection is a change from the pair’s romantic denial in January, when Panettiere told TMZ they were “just good buddies.” At the time, the Golden Globe nominee was newly single, having broken up with NFL player Scotty McKnight in December. She stepped out with Klitschko shortly after.
“They never fell completely out of touch,” an insider told Us Weekly of the 5-foot-2 actress and the 6-foot-6 Ukrainian heavyweight boxing champion.
Panettiere, who previously dated her Heroes costar Milo Ventimiglia and One Tree Hill alum Stephen Colletti (formerly of Laguna Beach), joked in 2011 that she had a preference for jocks. “See, I date two athletes and then people assume I only like athletes, but if I dated all actors, people wouldn’t say anything,” she told Us.
“But I like [dating athletes],” she admitted. “It’s been a really cool thing, because they’re in similar circles, where they understand the schedule, the work ethic, the social aspect, but they’re not exactly in your industry, so it works out well.”
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