Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36, Father Confirms: 'Heroes' and 'Nashville' Star Remembered
Hayden Panettiere, the actress best known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36, her father, Skip Panettiere, told ABC News on Sunday.
Hayden Panettiere has died at 36, her father confirmed to ABC News, leaving behind a career spanning Heroes, Nashville and Scream.
“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, told ABC News in a statement. He also asked for privacy “as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
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The details around her death are unknown.
Panettiere's acting career included television, film and Lifetime projects. Her film credits included I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009), Scream 4 (2011) and Scream VI (2023), while she also starred in the 2011 Lifetime movie Amanda Knox.
Relationship With Wladimir Klitschko and Daughter
Panettiere was involved in a relationship with Ukrainian champion heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko from 2009-11 and 2013–18. The pair had a daughter, Kaya, in 2014.
Her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in February 2023 of aortic valve complications at age 28.
Hayden Panettiere's Memoir and Personal Revelations
In May, Panettiere published her raw and candid memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning. In the book, she opened up about growing up in the spotlight as a child star, her battles with addiction, postpartum depression and more.
The actress also spoke with THR’s Seija Rankin about some of the biggest revelations in the memoir, including whether she told people she would be writing about her personal stories.
“I was fiercely protective of people in my writing,” she said. “I felt very strongly about my ability to tell my stories and make them entertaining enough to put in a book, without having to drag people through the mud. I had members of my team that I would bounce ideas off of, or ask their opinions about things like that I was writing.”
She added: “I mean, my publicist is also my dear friend and I trust her, so I leaned on her to know. And then I made sure that Vlad [Klitschko, Panettiere’s ex-fiancé and father of her daughter] wasn’t going to be upset with me. But other than that, I just had to speak my truth — and it’s mine alone.”
Breakthrough Role on Heroes
Panettiere earned her breakout role in 2006 when she played Claire Bennet, the indestructible cheerleader on NBC’s sci-fi series Heroes. She starred on the series for four seasons.
Her career gained further recognition with her role as Juliette Barnes on ABC’s Nashville, which she starred in from 2012-18. She later appeared as Kirby Reed in the Scream horror franchise.
In her memoir, Panettiere also discussed her struggles with Nashville, particularly as Juliette’s storyline began to resemble her own personal strife. This included her character’s postpartum depression and alcoholism.
Early Acting Career
Panettiere's earlier credits included One Life to Live, Guiding Light, Malcolm in the Middle, The Object of My Affection, A Bug’s Life and Message in a Bottle.
Born on Aug. 21, 1989, Panettiere was raised in Palisades, New York, by her parents, actress-producer Lesley R. Vogel, who managed her daughter’s career, and Alan Lee “Skip” Panettiere, a retired captain in the New York City Fire Department.
Reflecting on how she entered the entertainment industry, Panettiere told Entertainment Tonight in 2023:
“My introduction to acting was actually at 11 months old,” she told Entertainment Tonight in 2023. “Playskool Toy Train was my first commercial, but, I don’t know if that would really be an introduction to acting, because I don’t think acting was involved at that point. I didn’t have lines, I was just playing.”
Remember the Titans Was a Favorite Experience
Panettiere also described playing Sheryl Yoast in Remember the Titans (2000) as her favorite experience.
“This movie was my favorite movie to film; what an incredible time in my life,” she said. “That’s just pure me that look. That is like from, oh my gosh — I mean, I was 10 years old. I had such cute boys around me, I was surrounded by the cutest boys. Kate Bosworth was like my big sister, was close to everyone. … I mean, you have no idea how many times in my life I have wished and prayed — if I had wished to go back to any time in my life, it would be going back to Remember the Titans.”
Awards Recognition
Panettiere earned nominations at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Television Awards, Teen Choice Awards and People’s Choice Awards for her role in Nashville.
Her performance in Heroes earned her Teen Choice nominations and a Young Artist Award. She also won a Young Artist Award for her role in Remember the Titans.
