Hollywood is in mourning as beloved actress Hayden Panettiere has passed away at the age of 36. Panettiere was known for her roles in Nashville, Scream 4, Remember the Titans, and Raising Helen.
A representative for the actress told People magazine: “It is with profound sadness that we announce the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who gave boundless love and joy to everyone who knew her — and to the millions who watched her on screen.” Speaking to ABC News, her father, Skip Panettiere, asked for the family’s privacy to be respected, as “the family needs time to process this unimaginable loss.”
Hayden Panettiere: Hollywood mourns the death of the 36-year-old actress
Panettiere began her acting career in 1994 with a role in the soap opera One Life to Live, before moving to Guiding Light in 1996, where she remained until 2000. She became widely recognized by audiences for her role as Claire Bennet — a high school cheerleader with regenerative healing powers — in the hit NBC series Heroes.
She later portrayed Juliette Barnes in the musical drama Nashville, earning several award nominations along the way. Panettiere also made numerous appearances on the big screen, with roles in Scream 4, Remember the Titans, and Raising Helen.
In May of this year, she published a memoir titled This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she spoke openly about her struggles with postpartum depression, addiction, and her journey to recovery.
In 2018, Panettiere made the decision to give custody of her only daughter, Kaya, to her former partner and professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko. In 2024, the actress had spoken publicly about the death of her younger brother, who passed away the previous year from an undiagnosed heart condition, and about the emotions she experienced in the wake of that loss.
“Grief is something that transforms over time”
“I think grief is something that transforms over time,” she told Today. “Maybe the five stages of grief apply to people who have gone through a heartbreak or received some bad news. Yes, there are five stages, but there are so many more in between.” “When you lose someone who was by your side through every important moment of your life, it simply turns your world upside down.”
