‘Heroes’ Hayden Panettiere dies at 36, family confirms death

WASHINGTON: Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in ‘Heroes’ and ‘Nashville’, has died at the age of 36. Her representative confirmed the news to People magazine on behalf of her father, Alan Panettiere. Panettiere is survived by her parents and her daughter.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” her father said in a statement as per People.

He remembered the actress as someone who brought love and happiness to the people around her and to the millions who watched her work. “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 added.

According to the publication, Panettiere died on Sunday, August 16. Her cause of death has not been made public and further details were not immediately available.

The actress began her career as a child, appearing in the ABC soap opera ‘One Life to Live’ in 1994. She later worked on CBS’ ‘Guiding Light’ before making her film debut as the voice of Princess Dot in Pixar’s ‘A Bug’s Life’ in 1998.

me destruye como en un podcast de solo 3 meses atrás hayden panettiere contó que por fin había podido superar todo lo malo que le pasó en la vida y tenía mucho por vivir pic.twitter.com/5yCwaCwqhs

— ؘjuandi (@poxelse) August 17, 2026

She went on to appear in films including ‘Remember the Titans’, ‘Tiger Cruise’ and ‘Ice Princess’. In 2006, Panettiere took on the role of cheerleader Claire Bennet in NBC’s ‘Heroes’. The show became a major part of her career and brought her international recognition.

After ‘Heroes’ ended in 2010, she appeared in ‘Scream 4’ and later returned to the franchise with ‘Scream 6’ in 2023. From 2012 to 2018, she played Juliette Barnes in the ABC musical drama ‘Nashville’, appearing across all six seasons.

Panettiere later returned to films with projects including ‘Amber Alert’, ‘A Breed Apart’ and ‘Sleepwalker’, which was her final film role. She also worked as a singer during her career.

Panettiere became a mother in December 2014 when she and her then-fiance, former boxer Wladimir Klitschko, welcomed their daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko. The couple later separated, and in 2018, Panettiere gave full custody of Kaya to Klitschko.

She later spoke about the decision, denying claims that she had simply “given away” her daughter. At the time, she was seeking treatment for alcoholism, substance abuse and postpartum depression.

In 2022, Panettiere spoke publicly about her struggles with addiction and postpartum depression. Speaking to People, she said, “I was on top of the world, and I ruined it.”

“I put a lot of work into myself, and I had to be willing to be incredibly honest,” she added. “There were a lot of ups and downs, but I don’t regret even the ugliest things that have happened to me.”

In what was her final interview before her death, as per People, Panettiere spoke to parenting publication ‘Dear Mome’ about her life and said, “I’m a work in progress, we all are. I take each day as it comes. I’m doing the work, and I’m doing my best.”

Born on August 21, 1989, Panettiere was also dealing with the loss of her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, who died in 2023 at the age of 28. In a 2024 interview with People, she spoke about her brother and said, “He was my only sibling, and it was my job to protect him. When I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul”. (ANI)