Actress Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in "Heroes" and "Nashville," passed away Sunday at the age of 36. Her death was announced with "profound sadness," with a statement describing her as "an incredible light and a force of nature." The cause of her death was not immediately disclosed.
Just three years prior to her own passing, Panettiere had tearfully spoken about the death of her younger brother, Jansen, who died in 2023 at the age of 28. In a candid conversation earlier this year, she described his loss as the "biggest heartbreak" of her life.
"There's nothing in my life that feels like losing my other half. He was born to be the yin to my yang," Panettiere said, holding back tears, during an interview. "We were so close, and especially being the older sibling, it's your job to protect them and keep them safe, and not being able to is... I mean, heartbreaking doesn't even begin to cover it."
Jansen Panettiere, who was also a child actor, died from complications related to an enlarged heart. Neighbors had told media outlets that he had been abusing prescription painkillers. Hayden Panettiere described herself as "inconsolable" following his death, expressing the profound difficulty of adjusting to a world without him.
"I would need a dictionary to go through all the words for all the feelings that you go through in your mind," she reflected. "I know time is the best healer, but it's been three years and every year the heartbreak has changed. But losing him and realizing how much of life I was going to have to go through alone and without him, where I always saw him as being there."
Law enforcement confirmed an incident at the actress's home, and an investigation is ongoing. Sources indicated Panettiere had recently complained of back pain and had traveled with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, shortly before her death.
Panettiere's career began at 11 months old with a commercial appearance. She garnered award nominations for her roles as cheerleader Claire Bennet on "Heroes" and Juliette Barnes on "Nashville." She also appeared in the "Scream" franchise and voiced characters in video games.
Her memoir, "This is Me: A Reckoning," became a New York Times bestseller in the months leading up to her death. In the book and in interviews, she detailed her struggles with fame, addiction, and postpartum depression. She began taking medication at 15 to appear more energetic for interviews, and her addiction worsened after the birth of her daughter, Kaya, in 2014. Panettiere had stated she was sober in recent years, describing sobriety as an "everyday battle" and an "everyday choice."
Panettiere nearly died during childbirth and later relinquished custody of her daughter to ex-partner Wladimir Klitschko while battling postpartum depression in 2018. Her daughter currently resides in Europe. "The idea that anybody would think that I would just give away my child and be okay with it is heartbreaking. Couldn't be further from the truth," Panettiere stated, explaining that she was struggling with mental health issues and postpartum depression at the time.
She is survived by her daughter.