Actress Hayden Panettiere, who rose from child stardom to prominent roles in the television series “Heroes” and “Nashville,” has died at age 36, her representative confirmed to ABC News.
Panettiere’s father, Skip Panettiere, announced her death in a statement early Monday, describing his daughter as a source of love and joy to her family, friends, and millions who watched her work. The family asked for privacy.
No cause of death or other details were immediately released. Panettiere would have turned 37 on Friday.
Born in Palisades, New York, Panettiere began appearing in commercials as a young child before moving into television and film. Her early credits included the soap operas “One Life to Live” and “Guiding Light.”
She gained wider recognition playing Sheryl Yoast, the football coach’s daughter, in the 2000 film “Remember the Titans.” Other movie roles included “Raising Helen,” “Ice Princess,” and “Scream 4.”
Panettiere became a television star as Claire Bennet, a high school cheerleader with regenerative powers, on NBC’s “Heroes,” which debuted in 2006. She later played troubled country music singer Juliette Barnes on ABC and CMT’s “Nashville” from 2012 to 2018, earning two Golden Globe nominations.
She returned to the “Scream” franchise as Kirby Reed in 2023.
Panettiere had spoken publicly about struggles with alcohol addiction, postpartum depression and other challenges. In May, she released a memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” detailing her experiences with child stardom, addiction and recovery, trauma, domestic abuse and loss.
She had one daughter, Kaya, born in 2014 during her relationship with former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.
Source: ABC