Hayden Panettiere isn't, to my knowledge, but Claire is rumored to be engaging in some lesbian experimentation with her college roommate. Didn't Hayden have a romantic liaison with Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli) a year or two ago?
To answer the question, I fully believe that it's worth watching. I'm excited to see the characters get back to their normal lives, and I can't wait for Sylar to regain his identity, because he really is the crux of the show and the best actor on the program. What I really want to see is another Sylar/Peter showdown; with all of the powers that they have respectively amassed, their fights are pretty spectacular, I think.
Come join us in the Heroes thread when it starts up *wink wink, nudge nudge*.