Monday, August 17, 2026 -American actress Hayden Panettiere - best known for her roles in the TV series Heroes and Nashville- has d!ed at the age of 36.
"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," her father, Skip Panettiere, said in a
statement.
Her father asked for privacy "as our family takes time
to process this unimaginable loss."
Further details surrounding the circumstances of her death
were not immediately available. Her publicist, Kasey Kitchen, said
Panettiere’s death was being investigated.
“There’s an investigation ongoing,” Kitchen said in a
statement. “We should know more tomorrow.”
Police in Greenville, South Carolina, said in a statement
that officers “accompanied by EMS personnel, responded to a report of an
unresponsive female” at around 1:50 p.m. Sunday. “Upon arrival, medical
assistance was administered; however, the individual, later identified as
Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene,” police said in a
statement.
“The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police
Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office. The
preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or
suspicious circumstances. An acquaintance of Ms. Panettiere placed the 911
call,” it said. The statement added that no further details were available for
release at this time.
Panettiere revealed this year that she struggled with
postpartum depression and addiction, which she said led to her decision to give
up custody of her only child, daughter Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, in 2018, whom
she had with former partner Wladimir Klitschko, the Ukrainian professional
boxer.
Panettiere recently published a memoir, “This Is Me: A
Reckoning,” which generated headlines over its revelations, including about her
past relationships.
In 2024, she described pain and grief after her younger
brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died unexpectedly of an undiagnosed heart
condition the previous year.
“When you lose somebody that you saw in all the important moments in your life, standing right next to you, it just rocks your world,” she told NBC’s “TODAY” show.
Hayden Panettiere was born and raised in Palisades, New York, about 40 miles north of New York City, according to her Television Academy bio.
Panettiere started working at 11 months old, when she
appeared in television commercials, it said.
She appeared on soap operas, including “One Life to Live”
and “Guiding Light,” beginning at age 4. Her voice was featured in “A Bug’s
Life,” the animated feature, and she eventually appeared in big-screen stories,
including “Remember the Titans” and “Bring It On: All or Nothing.”
Panettiere's death comes less than a week before she would
have turned 37 years old on Friday
0 Comments