Hayden Panettiere, the actor and singer best known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36.
Panettiere’s representative confirmed her passing to ABC News, a cause of death has not been immediately disclosed (per Billboard)
Her father, Skip Panettiere, shared a statement asking for privacy as the family processes the loss.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” he said.
“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.”
Panettiere became a household name after landing the role of Claire Bennet on NBC’s Heroes in 2006. She had already been working as an actor from childhood, with appearances in Ally McBeal, Remember the Titans, Message in a Bottle and Pixar’s A Bug’s Life.
Nashville
Her career took another major turn in 2012 when she joined the cast of Nashville as Juliette Barnes, an ambitious country-pop superstar navigating fame, relationships and the music industry.
The role allowed Panettiere to showcase her abilities as a singer, with her performances becoming a major part of the series and its accompanying soundtrack releases.
The Music of Nashville: Season 1, Volume 1 reached No. 14 on the Billboard 200 and No. 4 on the Top Country Albums chart following its 2012 release. Panettiere’s recordings included songs such as “Telescope” and “Don’t Put Dirt on My Grave Just Yet”, alongside duets including “Wrong Song”.
She received two Golden Globe nominations for her performance as Juliette.
Panettiere’s connection to music extended beyond Nashville. As a teenager, she recorded material for family films and teen-pop compilations before releasing the 2008 single “Wake Up Call” through Hollywood Records.
Her screen credits later included Scream 4, Scream VI and I Love You, Beth Cooper.
In May, Panettiere released her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she discussed growing up in the spotlight, motherhood and her experiences with postpartum depression. She previously explained that speaking openly about those experiences was important after realising “how many people needed to hear it.”
Panettiere is survived by her daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.
Her passing comes just over three years after the death of her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, who died in February 2023 aged 28.
