Hayden Panettiere, the actress who rose from child stardom to become a familiar face on major television hits, has died at 36.
Best known for her standout performances in NBC’s Heroes and the musical drama Nashville, Panettiere was described in a statement as “an incredible light and a force of nature.” She is survived by her 11-year-old daughter.
Representatives for the actress announced the news on Sunday, saying: “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden.
“She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”
A cause of death was not immediately released.
Law enforcement sources have confirmed to TMZ that officers responded to an incident involving Panettiere, with an investigation still underway.
Sources also told the outlet that the actress had recently complained of back pain. Her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, reportedly flew from Los Angeles to see her one day before her death.
Over the course of her career, Panettiere earned several award nominations, including recognition for her roles as Claire Bennet, the cheerleader with regenerative powers on Heroes, and country singer Juliette Barnes on Nashville.
She also appeared in the Scream franchise as Kirby Reed, and lent her voice to the video game Until Dawn.
Hayden Panettiere has tragically died at the age of 36. She is pictured here at a gala in Hollywood in 2022
The tragic news comes just months after her memoir, This is Me, became a New York Times bestseller
Panettiere is remembered for her roles as Claire Bennet on the hit NBC series Heroes
Actor Randall Slavin reacted to the news by sharing a photo of him and her together, writing: ‘Peace be with you.’
The tragic news comes just months after her memoir, This is Me, became a New York Times bestseller.
In the book, Panettiere described how she contended with fame and handled the difficulties in her life.
She had relinquished custody of her daughter to her ex, former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, while struggling with postpartum depression in 2018. Her daughter now lives in Europe.
The Nashville star has since revealed she ‘desperately’ needed help at the time and insisted that Kaya does not feel ‘abandoned’ while appearing in an episode of the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast.
‘The idea that anybody would think that I would just give away my child and be okay with it is heartbreaking. Couldn’t be further from the truth,’ Panettiere said.
‘I was struggling with mental health and anxiety and postpartum and having to act my way through it, and just feeling like I completely lost myself,’ she added.
Panettiere started out as a child star, with her first acting gig at just 11 months old
Panettiere leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter with ex Wladimir Klitschko
Panettiere first started acting at just 11 months old when she appeared on screen in a commercial.
Her full-time acting career then began in 1994 when she played Sarah Roberts in the ABC soap opera One Life to Live until 1997. She then played Lizzie Spaulding in the CBS soap opera Guiding Light from 1996 to 2000.
For her role on Pixar’s A Bug’s Life, she was nominated for a Young Artist Award and Grammy Award, making her the fifth-youngest nominee for a Grammy.
Her other credits include Remember the Titans, Ally McBeal, Racing Stripes, Ice Princess and I Love You, Beth Cooper.
Panettiere also recorded a number of songs for the films and television programs she was in, including My Hero is You for the Disney Channel film Tiger Cruise and I Fly for the Disney film Ice Princess, which she co-starred in with the late Michelle Trachtenberg.
She played Juliette Barnes on the ABC show Nashville, releasing a number of her own songs
Her first single not associated with an acting role, the reggae-infused Wake Up Call, was digitally released on August 5, 2008.
Clothing brand Candie’s announced it was premiering an ad campaign for the single in late July of that year, and provided additional promotion for the song with a television ad and a music video starring Sebastian Stan, who played Panettiere’s brother in The Architect.
More recently, Panettiere has come out as bisexual.
‘It’s sad that I had to wait till I was 36 years old to share that part of me, but better late than never, right?’ the Nashville alum told Us Weekly in May.
‘I’ve chosen to share it with the world, I’m comfortable saying I’m bisexual. I’m comfortable to confidently say that, yes, I am bisexual. I said it!’
Despite having little privacy due to ‘paparazzi always outside waiting for me,’ Panettiere still managed to secretly date women, whom she preferred to men from ‘a very, very young age.’
‘[I was] much more into women,’ the two-time Golden Globe nominee said.
‘But, yeah, I have explored it, but I don’t think I ever had the courage, because I hadn’t shared this with anybody.
‘I didn’t really have the courage to throw myself fully, emotionally into it, because then if I did fall in love, that wasn’t something that I wanted to ever have to hide. I didn’t feel confident enough, and I was too afraid to really let that part of me explore that part of me.’
This is a breaking news story.
