Hayden Panettiere, the actress best known for playing the indestructible cheerleader Claire Bennet on NBC's Heroes and Juliette Barnes on Nashville, has died at the age of 36[reference:140][reference:141]. Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed the news to ABC News[reference:142].
"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 in a statement[reference:143]. He also asked for privacy "as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss"[reference:144].
A Career Spanning Decades
Panettiere's career began at just 11 months old with a toy commercial[reference:145]. She had a four-year run as Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live (1994-1997) and appeared on Guiding Light as Lizzie Spaulding[reference:146]. She made her big screen debut at age 9 in The Object of My Affection and also appeared in A Bug's Life[reference:147].
Her breakout role came in 2006 when she played Claire Bennet on Heroes, a role that earned her Teen Choice nominations and a Young Artist Award[reference:148][reference:149]. She later starred as Juliette Barnes on Nashville from 2012 to 2018, earning Golden Globe and Critics Choice nominations[reference:150][reference:151]. Panettiere also appeared as Kirby Reed in three Scream films: Scream 4 (2011), Scream (2022), and Scream VI (2023)[reference:152].
Personal Life and Struggles
Panettiere was in a relationship with Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko from 2009-11 and 2013-18, and they had a daughter, Kaya, in 2014[reference:153]. Her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in February 2023 of aortic valve complications at age 28[reference:154].
Earlier this year, Panettiere released her memoir, where she opened up about growing up in the spotlight as a child star, her battles with addiction, postpartum depression, and more[reference:155]. She had been open about her struggles, telling people she was given "happy pills" at age 15 and that drugs and alcohol became something she almost couldn't live without[reference:156].