Connie Britton has shared a heartfelt tribute to her former "Nashville" co-star Hayden Panettiere, who died on Sunday. The two actresses starred together on the drama series for five seasons.
Britton posted a series of photos with Panettiere on Instagram on Monday, expressing her grief. "This was Hayden. Bursting with brilliance, shining so bright," Britton wrote. "I have no words for this sad song. Just heartbreak."
She added, "I love you girl. Sleep easy now. 💔."
The first image in Britton's Instagram post showed her and Panettiere holding hands with their arms raised, portraying their respective "Nashville" characters, Rayna James and Juliette Barnes.
Panettiere, who portrayed Juliette Barnes, departed the series in 2017 before its sixth and final season. In May, Panettiere discussed her "deeply uncomfortable" dynamic with Britton on the "Nashville" set in her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning."
Panettiere wrote that her character was not initially intended to be the show's star but quickly gained popularity. "That honor went to Connie, whose Rayna Jaymes was in the twilight of her career, facing a dramatic turning point thanks to yours truly," Panettiere recalled. "Unfortunately, after the pilot, it was clear that my billing had gone way up. I went from maybe number five in terms of importance to nipping at Connie's heels."
She described feeling "deeply uncomfortable with this development" and wanted to assure Britton that she was not trying to compete. Panettiere noted that Britton was "in her 40s with three Emmy nominations under her belt" and was also a new mother, while Panettiere was 23 years old at the time. "This should have been her time to shine, and while it was in many respects, I was terrified of making Connie worry that I — not my character — was trying to compete with her," Panettiere wrote.
This story is developing.