Celebrities Respond to the Tragic Passing of Hayden Panettiere at 36
The entertainment industry is grieving the devastating loss of Hayden Panettiere at the age of 36.
On Sunday, August 16, the representative for the Heroes and Nashville star confirmed her passing to Us. However, specifics regarding the circumstances of Panettiere’s death are still unclear.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the heartbreaking passing of our cherished Hayden,” her father, Skip Panettiere, expressed in a heartfelt statement. “She radiated an incredible light and was a force of nature that brought immeasurable love and joy to everyone who knew her — and to the millions who admired her onscreen.”
Skip requested privacy for the family as they cope with this unimaginable loss.
Following the news of her passing, celebrities worldwide have shared their sorrow and fond memories of the actress.
Scroll down to see some heartfelt tributes from her fellow stars:
Alyssa Milano
Milano honored Hayden for her advocacy work regarding animal rights, postpartum depression, addiction, and recovery, expressing on Instagram, “I hope people remember this part of her and that it doesn’t get lost in the noise, the headlines, or the flattening of public figures into story and spectacle.”
“Hayden understood something both simple and difficult: visibility is not merely granted to you, but something you can give away,” Milano noted. “And she gave hers, repeatedly, for causes greater than herself.”
She added, “Most quietly powerful was her candidness about issues so many are taught to mask: domestic violence, postpartum depression, addiction, recovery, and abuse. She didn’t share these experiences for ease or notoriety, but because she recognized what her silence could mean for others.”
Milano closed her tribute by stating, “Rest in peace, Hayden. You deserved so much more time, and your bravery should be remembered.”
Connie Britton
“This was Hayden. Overflowing with brilliance, shining so bright,” her Nashville co-star captioned a series of photos showcasing their time together. “I have no words for this sorrowful song. Just heartbreak. I love you, girl. Rest easy now. 💔.”
Ashley Tisdale
“Today is heavy 💔,” Tisdale expressed in her Instagram Story. “We lost one of the most gifted and beautiful actresses. Hayden was the girl you aspired to be growing up. Talented, intelligent, and she shared her vulnerabilities later in life to help others feel less isolated. She gave so much of herself for so long. Rest in peace.”
David Arquette
“💔 I love you, Hayden 🕊️,” commented Hayden’s Scream 4 co-star on Variety’s Instagram post about her death.
Melissa Barrera
The Scream VI actress shared via Instagram Stories, “Rest in peace, sweet Hayden.”
Selma Blair
“I love you. Don’t disappear. Please,” Blair wrote in the comments of Hayden’s last Instagram post from July 27, just weeks before her passing.
“I’m heartbroken. Please be here,” she added in another comment.
“I love you, whale tail, my friend,” she reiterated in a separate comment.
Rosie O’Donnell
“Oh my god — heartbroken #hayden 😭,” O’Donnell wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of Hayden.
Bethany Joy Lenz
“There’s not much a post can do in moments like this. Typically, I avoid it. But here I am with my hands on my head, unsure what to do apart from praying for her soul, which I am and will continue to do,” the One Tree Hill alum expressed in a thoughtful Instagram tribute.
Lenz reflected, “I’m crushed. I knew the spirited little blonde. Was she nine? Ten? I was eighteen. She dashed through the Screen Gem studio hallways at 222 E44th St., laughing and playing games between blocking and camera rehearsals. Her long, unruly curls bouncing behind her.”
“She memorized her lines and everyone else’s. Her intelligence was remarkable. She understood scenes and nuances and human struggle like no child I’d ever seen on camera,” Lenz remembered. “And she’d engage in great conversations with you, then giggle and run off to play. Throughout the years, we would connect on and off like family at a reunion who got famous and life pulled them away — but it always brought such joy when we crossed paths. We’d always promise to meet up soon. Lunch or dinner — somewhere to curl up together — yet we never quite made it happen. I mostly kept updated through mutual friends.”
“I can’t comprehend how this is real. Everything seemed to be improving. She was rejuvenating, wasn’t she?” Lenz lamented. “She was too young, and there was still so much life ahead. And her daughter… Hayden, you are enveloped by love. I apologize for every moment I didn’t reach out or check in. This cannot be real.”
“These are moments of how I knew you, in glimpses over 27 years. I’m struggling to process this. I pray you know the peace of God now and always,” Lenz concluded.
Jay Shetty
“I can’t believe it. Our friendship had just begun, and I was deeply moved by our conversation earlier this year. My love and condolences to her family and fans 🙏🙏🙏,” the podcaster commented under Variety’s Instagram post.
Greer Grammer
“Oh my god 😔 this is absolutely devastating. I can’t believe it,” the actress wrote in response to Variety’s Instagram post.
Viola Davis
“What an incredible talent you were… so gifted. Julius and I cherished working with you… an old, wise soul with a profound heart,” the Oscar-winning actress shared about her Architect and Custody co-star through Instagram. “I wish the world had more time with you because I was eager to see who you were becoming. I witnessed this beautiful Phoenix rising from the ashes.”
Davis added, “Your trials became your testimony, and your testimony became your legacy. You will be remembered. Rest well, Hayden. Sending healing prayers to your family, your daughter, and all who loved you. May they always speak your name…♥️🙏🏿🕊.”
JoJo
“This is such devastating news. I am so sorry to hear of her passing. Oh My God,” the singer and former child actress reflected in her Instagram Story.
Matt Lanter
“So saddened by Hayden’s passing. She portrayed my girlfriend on Commander in Chief, then I went on to play her boyfriend in Season 1 of Heroes,” the actor wrote on Instagram. “We shared many great times on set filled with laughter… ❤️ It feels just too young.”
Kelly Osbourne
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of someone who meant so much to me. We understood each other in a way few really can — recognizing how tough it can be to grow up in the spotlight and how isolating it can feel even when surrounded by so many,” Osbourne shared on her Instagram Story. “My heart aches for someone so special to the world and such a good friend to me. I won’t forget you, Hayden, and I will always believe you deserved better. Rest in peace, sweet princess. You will never be forgotten.”
Kim Cattrall
“Rest in peace, sweet Hayden,” the Ice Princess actress noted on Instagram. “Gone far too soon 💔.
Derek Hough
“Heartbroken to learn of Hayden’s passing. During the little time I spent with her, she was incredibly sweet and kind. I have always admired her work and the joy she brought to others,” the Nashville star remarked on Instagram. “She was actually pregnant when we filmed together. Looking at this photo now, having recently become a father myself, breaks my heart.”
Alyson Stoner
“From one Kairi to another… One sky, one destiny. 🕊️ My deepest condolences to Hayden’s family, community, and the many lives she touched. May you find peace, Hayden,💕✨,” the actress wrote on Instagram alongside an emotional video. “Sending love to my fellow KH community worldwide who have treasured Hayden’s work as Kairi throughout the years. Take care.”
Christian Siriano
Taryn Manning
“This one really hurts. 💔 Hayden was always such a sweetheart — so cool, down to earth, kind, and consistently the same every time I encountered her,” the actress shared via Instagram. “We shared so many funny moments over the years, and this photo captures it all. We were in Washington, D.C., surrounded by suited men, and somehow we just kept catching each other’s eyes and laughing uncontrollably at the absurdity. And then we slipped out for dinner 😂. That was Hayden – always ready to laugh and stay authentic. I’m just grateful I had the chance to know her and make such cherished memories.”
Beth Chamberlin
“Hayden portrayed my daughter for three years. She was the most brilliant child actor I’ve ever encountered,” the Guiding Light actress recalled on Instagram. “Her capabilities were astounding, as she could remember 20+ pages of dialogue, day after day. Even when the director made substantial cuts to scenes mid-way through, Hayden never forgot a line or missed her blocking. The adults would falter, but not Hayden. I felt privileged to work with her, and she was always excellently crafted in her portrayals.”
Dania Ramirez
“My heart aches deeply right now. I love you and will always miss you,” the Heroes star expressed online. “It comforts me to know our connection transcends this life and death, as your love and energy have always crossed dimensions. My thoughts are with your daughter and those who genuinely love you. Those who were fortunate enough to experience your gifts will always regard themselves as blessed and grateful for you 🙏🏽💫.
Emma Roberts
“Rest in peace, my sweet friend,” the Scream 4 star wrote. “You are so loved and will forever be missed ❤️.”
Nico Tortorella
“I keep trying to find the right words, but they elude me,” the Scream 4 actor noted online. “I love you. I miss you. And I’m so sorry. I hope you and Jan are in a place bigger than all of this.”
Charles Esten
Panettiere’s Nashville co-star, Charles Esten, extended condolences from himself and his wife, Patty Hanson.
“Patty and I are shocked and saddened by the loss of our dear friend Hayden,” Esten wrote via Instagram on August 17.
He then recounted a charming encounter from his early days before being cast as songwriter Deacon Claybourne on Nashville (where Hayden played country star Juliette Barnes). “I’ll never forget meeting her for the first time,” Esten shared. “I was concluding my initial Nashville audition when I unexpectedly bumped into someone as I opened the door. To my surprise, it was Hayden Panettiere, who had been eagerly listening outside, and her face lit up with the most beautiful smile. She applauded and said, ‘That was so good!!’”
“In that moment, I needed to hear that more than anything,” he recalled. “I told her that, as a big fan of hers along with my family who watched Heroes, I appreciated her kind words. As she went in, I jokingly responded with a ‘See you on set!’”
“Of course, I was many auditions away from securing that incredible role. But when I did eventually land it, she approached me with that magical grin and said, ‘See you on set!’”
Esten continued in his tribute by acknowledging the collective grief everyone’s feeling. “She was undeniably talented, breathing life into her larger-than-life character with heart, charisma, intelligence, and magic that were part of her personal palette, alongside any struggles she faced,” he expressed. “What a gift to act, sing, and just be friends with her. She showed tremendous kindness to my family, especially my wife, Patty, who I’m sure she favored even more than me.”
“Together, we are heartbroken over her loss, praying for her family, and for all who will ever miss and mourn her dearly,” he concluded. “Rest In Peace and Light, Hayden.”
Blake Lively
Blake Lively reflected on the unfortunate loss of her former Gossip Girl co-star Michelle Trachtenberg alongside Panettiere this year. (Trachtenberg sadly passed away at 39 in February 2026 due to complications from diabetes mellitus.)
Sharing a clip of Trachtenberg and Panettiere in their 2005 comedy Ice Princess, Lively urged everyone to “be kind,” emphasizing that everyone faces challenges privately.
“You never know what others are going through,” Lively noted on Instagram on August 17. “Thank you to both of these women for the joy they brought to so many.”
Masi Oka
Panettiere’s Heroes co-star, known for his role as Hiro Nakamura, shared on X, “Absolutely heartbroken to hear about Hayden. Working closely with her was a privilege, and I will always remember her vibrant spirit, immense talent, and joyful energy she radiated in everything she did. She was far wiser than her years and has now left us far too soon…”
“My heart goes out to her family and everyone who cherished her. Rest in peace, Hayden,” he added.
Jimmy Jean-Louis
“SAVE THE CHEERLEADER, SAVE THE WORLD. It was an honor to protect Claire Bennett for four unforgettable seasons. Farewell, Hayden 💔,” the Heroes actor who portrayed “the Haitian” penned on X.
Greg Grunberg
Fellow Heroes actor Grunberg expressed in an Instagram tribute, “This doesn’t make sense. So talented, so kind, so loving, so funny, so fearless, so professional, so caring, so young, and will be so missed by so many.”
“I remember when I first worked with her, preparing myself for a diva. She shattered that expectation. I learned so much from her, observing how she conducted herself on and off set. She was wise and exceptionally kind for her years. 💔💔💔,” he reflected.
Sendhil Ramamurthy
“This one hits hard,” Panettiere’s Heroes co-star expressed on Instagram. “The first time I met Hayden was during the final screen test for Heroes. I was so nervous I broke into a sweat before arriving. I rushed to the restroom to regain my composure, then signed in, expecting to see fellow anxious actors. Instead, I found Hayden belting out show tunes in the waiting room, completely unfazed. I had to leave immediately, spending the rest of my time sweating in the hallway. She was already a pro, while I was nearly twice her age.”
“Hayden stood up for background actors when they faced mistreatment, knew all the crew members by name, and was incredibly generous with her time. There I was with Adrian Pasdar, doing what responsible adults do, sneaking off to the studio school room where Hayden had to attend classes in-between setups, brainstorming excuses to pull her out of class.”
