In an interview conducted months before her death, Hayden Panettiere expressed optimism about her future and reflected on overcoming past challenges.
Speaking on Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” podcast in May, Panettiere discussed her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning.” She stated, “I finally feel like I have shaken off all of this darkness and this negativity. I can feel all the exciting possibilities. I feel like I have a lot more life to live.”
During the candid conversation, Panettiere addressed her history with alcoholism and postpartum depression. She shared that her struggles with depression were a long-term battle, making it difficult to focus on her own healing while simultaneously working on the show ‘Nashville.’
“At one point, I did have to say to the show, ‘I have to go get treatment. You’re going to have to write me out of the script,’ which upset a lot of people and made me feel awful, because I’d always prided myself on being a professional,” Panettiere recalled. She emphasized the importance of prioritizing her mental health, explaining, “But it was incredibly important for me to get my head screwed on straight, or I was just going to go off the deep end. I felt myself sinking further and further and further into this dark hole that I just could not climb out of.”
Panettiere also spoke about the 2023 death of her brother and close friend, Jansen Panettiere. “When he first died, I just remember screaming, ‘I don’t want to live in a world where he doesn’t exist,’” she said, tears in her eyes. She described him as having a large personality and expressed anger that “bad people [are] thriving in this world, and then one so good that’s just taken from you.” Panettiere added, “I’ll never get over it. It’ll just evolve.”
Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed her death to ABC News on Sunday. Hayden Panettiere was 36 years old and would have celebrated her 37th birthday on Friday. A representative for the actress stated she was found deceased in Greenville, South Carolina.