Hayden Panettiere has died. The actress, who is best known for her roles in hit TV shows like Heroes and Nashville, was 36 years old.
The news was confirmed by Panettiere’s rep, who released a statement to ABC News, which reads, “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.”
According to TMZ, Panettiere died earlier Sunday, August 16. As mentioned above, Panettiere was best known for playing cheerleader Claire Bennet on NBC’s former series Heroes and opposite Connie Britton in the country music drama Nashville.
Panettiere was born in 1989 and began her career as a child model and soap opera actress, starting with early projects like One Life to Live and Guiding Light. Her early career also included voiceover work in A Bug’s Life and Dinosaur before going on to appear in Ally McBeal. Ultimately, Panettiere went on to star in various films, including Remember the Titans alongside Will Patton and Denzel Washington, Ice Princess, alongside the late Michelle Trachtenberg, and Bring It On: All or Nothing.
Her biggest breakthrough occurred with Heroes and eventually Nashville. Other mainstream projects of Panettiere’s included I Love You, Beth Cooper, Scream 4, Raising Helen, and Racing Stripes. In 2011, she played Amanda Knox in Lifetime’s film Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy.
And she also starred in Tiger Cruise, a Disney Channel Original film, alongside her real-life brother Jansen Panettiere and Bill Pullman. As some fans may recall, Panettiere’s brother Jansen died in 2023 at the age of 28 from aortic valve complications that arose from cardiomegaly, otherwise known as an enlarged heart.
Panettiere leaves behind one daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, whom she shared with her ex, Wladimir Klitschko. She is survived by her parents, Lesley Vogel and Skip Panettiere, as well as current boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.