Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, has passed away at the age of 36.
The actor's family confirmed in a statement to ABC news, 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." Her father shared the news, requesting privacy as they are taking time "to process the unimaginable loss."
The cause of her death currently remains unknown.
Hayden Panettiere's career
Panettiere was born in 1989 and her first acting gig came when she was just 11 months old, as she came on screen for a toy commercial. But her big screen debut came eight years later with A Bug’s Life as she voiced the character Dot. When she was four, she was cast on the popular US soap opera One Life to Live.
Panettiere began gaining recognition with her appearance in Remember the Titans in 2000. Four years later, she took on her first major starring role in the Disney Channel film Tiger Cruise, playing the daughter of Bill Pullman’s character.
Her breakthrough came in 2006 when, at just 17, she was cast as Claire Bennet in Heroes. The character, an indestructible cheerleader at the centre of the show's famous “Save the cheerleader, save the world” storyline, made Panettiere a global star. Heroes went on to run for four seasons, concluding in 2010.
She also achieved two Golden Globe nominations for her work on Nashville. Her 11 songs for Nashville also hit top of the charts.
Panettiere's three-decade-long career also has many other hits including I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009), Scream 4 (2011) and Scream VI (2023) and the title role in the 2011 telefilm Amanda Knox.
Hayden Panettiere's life
After being involved in a relationship with Ukrainian champion heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko from 2009-11 and 2013–18, they had a daughter named Kaya who was born in 2014. Four years later, she gave full custody of her daughter to Klitschko to recover from alcoholism and substance abuse.
In February 2023, Panettiere's brother Jansen Panettiere died of aortic valve complications at age 28. Months later, she published her memoir This is Me: A Reckoning, detailing her rise to fame and the perils that came with it, including the effects of gaining the spotlight young in her life, her struggle with addiction, and postpartum depression.
Panettiere is survived by her father Skip Panettiere, mother Lesley Vogel and daughter Kaya.
