Hayden Panettiere & Milo Ventimiglia Dating?

By: Shannon Gossage

Panettiere, 18, and Ventimiglia, 30, play niece and uncle on the hit show Heroes, but have reportedly taken their off-screen friendship to the next level. The two have repeatedly denied that there was anything romantic between the two of them, but just recently it was allegedly confirmed that they were getting pretty hot and heavy. Panettiere and Ventimiglia even reportedly spent time with her family in New York last month. A friend of Panettiere’s said, "He even met her grandparents. He fits in perfectly with the family. Milo jokes around with her little brother. They’re buddies." The source added, "Hayden’s mom adores Milo. She thinks he’s so cute. She tells her friends that he’s her boyfriend. She’s very proud."

The source said of the couple’s 12-year age difference, "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." Well, yeah, she is still quite young. It was reported that during a dinner with the cast and producers of Heroes Ventimiglia gushed over Panettiere in a toast. Said the source, "He called her his girlfriend and said that he loved her. And they sat next to each other holding hands."

In December 2006 Ventimiglia was asked what he found attractive about his young co-star. He responded, "Ask me August 21 (her 18th birthday), and I’ll tell you a zillion things." Panettiere’s rep has consistently denied the romance rumors until recently when asked said they do not comment on their client’s personal life. Before reportedly dating Ventimiglia, Panettiere dated reality TV star Stephen Colletti. Ventimiglia was previously romantically linked to Gilmore Girls star Alexis Bledel.