Hayden Panettiere, an actress best known for her starring roles in “Nashville” and “Heroes,” has died. She was 36.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” her father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement to 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.”
Her father concluded the statement by asking for privacy “as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
A cause of death has yet to be revealed. Page Six has reached out to reps for Panettiere for comment.
Panettiere was born on Aug. 21, 1989, in Palisades, New York, to parents Skip and Lesley Vogel. Her younger brother, Jansen, unexpectedly died in 2023 at the age of 28.
Panettiere got her start in Hollywood as a child star. She starred in commercials before landing gigs on soap operas like “One Life to Live” in 1994 and “Guiding Light” in 1996.
While she’s best known for portraying Claire Bennet on “Heroes” and Juliette Barnes on “Nashville,” she’s also starred in projects like “Remember the Titans,” “Raising Helen,” “Ice Princess,” “Scream 4” and the TV movie “Amanda Knox.”
In 2014, Panettiere gave birth to her only child, daughter Kaya, with boxing champ Wladimir Klitschko.
Before her death, the actress had been vocal about her struggles with postpartum depression, substance abuse and being in the spotlight since she was a kid. She most recently opened up about her battles in her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” which was released in May.
“I had my first identity crisis. I remember exactly where I was, standing in my bedroom at 12 years old,” she recalled during a panel discussion for the book Los Angeles at the time, noting that she spent much of her childhood either “playing characters” or sitting in audition rooms.
“It’s the most brutal experience, like the stark cold room, and just this row of people judging you.”
Just a few months later, in July, Page Six reported that Panettiere canceled her appearance at Creep I.E. Con at the last minute due to an emergency.
“Hayden Panettiere has an emergency and will not be able to attend this weekend. We are looking forward to her appearing at an upcoming show,” the convention shared via Instagram at the time.
A rep for Panettiere told Page Six that the cancellation was “due to a private family matter.”
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