Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in "Heroes" and "Nashville," died at the age of 36. Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed her death in a statement, calling her 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 source close to the actress told TMZ that she had been experiencing back pain in the year leading up to her death, though a cause has not yet been revealed. Panettiere and her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson were reportedly on a flight out of Los Angeles on the Saturday prior to the announcement of her death, according to TMZ.
Weeks before her passing, Panettiere shared a black-and-white photo on Instagram with a friend, photographer Randall Slavin. In the playful image, she winked and stuck out her tongue, captioned "Good times and good friends." Slavin had his arm around Panettiere, and her arm was resting on his shoulder. Mage5: url= | alt=Black and white photo of Hayden Panettiere laughing while embracing a man. | dimensions=2000x1332
Panettiere was born in August 1989 and began her acting career as a child, appearing in commercials before landing roles on the soap operas "One Life to Live" and "Guiding Light." Her early career included a role in the 2002 comedy-drama "Ally McBeal."
She gained widespread recognition for her portrayal of cheerleader Claire Bennet in the NBC series "Heroes" from 2006 to 2010. She later starred as Juliette Barnes in the musical drama "Nashville," a role she held from 2012 to 2018.
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Panettiere also appeared in the film "Scream 4" in 2011 and reprised her role as Kirby Reed in "Scream VI" in 2023. Her other film credits include "I Love You, Beth Cooper" (2009) and "Sleepwalker" (2022).
The actress is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with former boxer Wladimir Klitschko. Panettiere had previously spoken about relinquishing custody of Kaya in 2018 due to struggles with addiction and postpartum depression, describing the decision as "the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever, ever had to do." Klitschko has not yet publicly commented on her death.