Hayden Panettiere, the actress best known for her roles in the NBC series Heroes and the ABC/CMT series Nashville, has died at the age of 36[reference:182][reference:183]. Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed the news to ABC News on Sunday[reference:184].
"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was 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," her father said[reference:185].
A Versatile Career
Panettiere's career began at just 11 months old with a toy commercial[reference:186]. She had a four-year run as Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live and appeared on Guiding Light as Lizzie Spaulding[reference:187]. She made her big screen debut at age 9 in The Object of My Affection and also appeared in A Bug's Life[reference:188].
Her breakout role came in 2006 when she played Claire Bennet on Heroes[reference:189]. She later starred as Juliette Barnes on Nashville from 2012 to 2018[reference:190]. Panettiere also appeared as Kirby Reed in the Scream franchise[reference:191].
Personal Life
Panettiere was in a relationship with Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko and had a daughter, Kaya, in 2014[reference:192]. Her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, died in February 2023 at age 28[reference:193]. Earlier this year, Panettiere released her memoir, where she opened up about her struggles with addiction and postpartum depression[reference:194].