Hayden Panettiere Passes Away at 36: Nashville and Heroes Star Remembered

Hayden Panettiere passed away in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday, August 16. She was 36 years old.

Confirming the sad news, Hayden’s father, Skip Panettiere, spoke to Us through a representative of the Nashville and Heroes star.

“With deep sorrow, we announce the tragic loss of our beloved Hayden. She was an extraordinary light and a powerful presence who filled the lives of those around her with immense love and joy — including the millions who appreciated her talent on screen,” Skip stated. “We kindly ask for privacy as our family comes to terms with this unfathomable sorrow.”

ABC News was the first to report on Hayden’s passing. Additional details were not immediately available.

The actress leaves behind her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she had with ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko.

Originally from Palisades, New York, Hayden’s journey in the entertainment industry began at just 8 months old when she signed with Wilhelmina Models. By 11 months, she was already appearing in commercials, and she became a full-time actress when she turned 5. She lent her voice to Princess Dot in A Bug’s Life (1998) and went on to feature in various films and TV shows, including Remember the Titans (2000), Ally McBeal (2002), Heroes (from 2006 to 2010), Nashville (2012 to 2018), and the Scream series (2011 to 2023).

Hayden candidly shared her experiences in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, published in May.

In her book, she opened up about years of physical and emotional abuse from a former partner, her time in rehab, struggles with alcoholism, and undiagnosed postpartum depression following Kaya’s birth.

During an interview with Us in May aimed at promoting her memoir, Hayden expressed that the project, in which she also identified as bisexual, was “extremely daunting” to undertake.

“I discuss traumatic events and experiences that many are unaware of. The abuse I endured at the hands of those who were supposed to protect me. Acknowledging the actions I took. I recognized that if I was going to pursue this, I needed to be brutally and painfully honest,” she shared at that time. “When I courageously spoke about postpartum depression on Live With Kelly and Michael [in 2015], the aftermath was surprising. After that interview, I had no idea that I would receive a call saying, ‘Neutrogena wants to terminate your contract. They disapprove of this.’ And I thought, ‘Hold on, how can they judge me for something so human and so authentic?’”

The memoir also examined Hayden’s relationship with her mother, Lesley Vogel, who was also her manager, emphasizing the pressure she felt under her mother’s guidance. “I believe this is the first time [through the book] I’ve been able to express my feelings to her. I was so intimidated by her that confronting her honestly wouldn’t yield a positive response,” she confided to Us. “This is my method of doing so.”

Hayden was preceded in death by her brother, Jansen Panettiere, who passed away at the age of 28 in February 2023 due to an undiagnosed heart condition. On what would have been Jansen’s 31st birthday last September, Hayden shared on Instagram that she missed him “every single day.”