What To Know
- Hayden Panettiere died suddenly at age 36 on Sunday, August 16, her rep confirmed.
- In May, she released her memoir detailing her struggles with addiction, mental health, and motherhood.
- In her final interviews, Panettiere spoke candidly about giving up custody of her daughter and shared messages of hope.
Hayden Panettiere, the actress best known for her roles in hit TV shows like Heroes and Nashville, died on Sunday (August 16) at 36 years old.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” her rep told ABC News. “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.”
Panettiere had been on a press tour for the past few months, promoting her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, which was published May 19. In the book, she opened up about her experiences with addiction, recovery, abusive relationships, and postpartum depression.
Speaking to parenting outlet Momé last month, in what would be her final interview, Panettiere talked openly about motherhood and her troubles in raising her daughter, Kaya (11), who lives in Ukraine with her ex, boxer Wladimir Klitschko. Panettiere gave up custody of Kaya in 2018 amid her struggles with addiction.
“It wasn’t a decision I made lightly, nor was it a decision I even wanted to make,” she said about Kaya. “I was going through a really challenging time in my life. I knew I needed to be able to put her first so that I could get the help I needed and be the mom she needed me to be.”
“I love my daughter, and I’m so proud of the young woman she is becoming,” she added. “I talk to her all the time, and I feel so connected to her. She’s like a mini-me… I’ve been able to put her first no matter how I’ve felt or what I’ve experienced. One day she’ll understand my story, and why I wasn’t able to be with her all the time.”
She also touched on her current life and mindset, saying, “I’m a work in progress — we all are. I take each day as it comes. I’m doing the work, and I’m doing my best.” As for her advice for other mothers, she offered, “You’re stronger than you know. And you’re going to be just fine.”
A few weeks earlier, Panettiere spoke about her book at a panel at the Harmony Gold Theater in Los Angeles. During the conversation, she talked about the impact she’d had on others going through similar struggles and shared a touching message about how she’d like to be remembered.
“So many people have come up to me within the industry and outside of the industry and shared their stories with me and said, ‘Because you’ve talked about your mental health, it gave me the courage to be honest about mine and get myself help, and you saved my life,’” she stated, per People.
She added, “I was like, ‘This is worth it. I can hopefully leave the world a better place than I found it.’”
Panettiere, who began her career as a child model and soap opera actress, starring in One Life to Live and Guiding Light, also shared a final Instagram message just three weeks before her shocking death.
The actress posted a snap with photographer Randall Slavin on July 27, writing in the caption, “Good times and good friends @randallslavin.”