Hayden Panettiere, the actress best known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36.
Her father, Skip Panettiere, announced her death in a statement provided to ABC News on Sunday. No cause of death was announced.
“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,” he said.
Hayden Panettiere’s Rise to Fame
Panettiere began acting as a child, appearing in commercials and soap operas. She became widely known in 2006 after being cast as cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes.
The series followed people who discovered they had special powers. Panettiere’s role made her famous and earned her three Teen Choice Awards.
“I think ‘Heroes’ is really hot because it’s just a really great combination of everything that people love: they love reality, they love sci-fi and things like X-Men where they get to dream of something bigger,” Panettiere told The Associated Press in 2008. “And at the core of it are these human stories that people can relate to, very rugged. And it’s just grabbed everyone in every age group.”
Her Career in ‘Nashville’
Panettiere later starred as country singer Juliette Barnes in Nashville. She sang her own songs on the show, which became popular with country music fans.
Eleven of her songs from the series appeared on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. She also received two Golden Globe nominations for her performance.
Panettiere appeared in other films, including Remember the Titans, I Love You, Beth Cooper and two Scream movies.
Panettiere’s Personal Struggles
The actress was open about her struggles with depression, anxiety, alcohol addiction and substance abuse. She entered rehab in 2015 while filming Nashville.
“I was the one who put myself in the first treatment centre. I was drowning,” she said in a 2023 interview with Women’s Health.
Panettiere also spoke publicly about her daughter, whom she shares with former Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko. She said her daughter lives full-time with Klitschko in Ukraine.
Her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at age 28 from a heart condition.
Panettiere would have turned 37 on Friday.
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