Hayden Panettiere, the actor who rose to fame through Heroes and Nashville after beginning her career as a child, has died at age 36.
Her representative confirmed her death to ABC News on Sunday, Aug. 16. Panettiere’s father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere, announced the loss in a family statement and asked the public to respect their privacy.
“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 said.
No cause of death has been announced. Publicist Kasey Kitchen said the death was under investigation, according to Reuters, and no further circumstances had been officially released as of Monday, Aug. 17.
Her Father Remembers the Joy She Brought
Skip Panettiere said the family was profoundly saddened by the loss of his daughter, remembering both the joy she brought to people who knew her personally and the connection she created with audiences across decades of work. “As our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss, we kindly ask that our privacy be respected,” he added.
Panettiere would have turned 37 on Aug. 21, The Associated Press reported. She is survived by her daughter, Kaya, and her parents. Her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at age 28 from complications related to an enlarged heart and an aortic valve condition.
Panettiere Found Fame as Claire Bennet and Juliette Barnes
Born in Palisades, New York, in 1989, Panettiere began working in entertainment before she could walk, first appearing in commercials before moving into television. Her early credits included the soap operas One Life to Live and Guiding Light.
She voiced Dot in Pixar’s 1998 film A Bug’s Life and played Sheryl Yoast, the football-obsessed daughter of coach Bill Yoast, in the 2000 drama Remember the Titans.
Her breakthrough came in 2006 as Claire Bennet, the seemingly indestructible cheerleader at the center of NBC’s Heroes. The science-fiction drama’s “Save the cheerleader, save the world” storyline helped turn Panettiere into one of television’s most recognizable young stars.
She later played ambitious country singer Juliette Barnes on Nashville, which aired for four seasons on ABC before continuing for two more on CMT. Panettiere performed her own songs on the musical drama and earned two Golden Globe nominations for her performance.
Her music from the series also crossed onto the country charts. The Associated Press reported that 11 recordings featuring Panettiere appeared on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart during Nashville’s run. On film, Panettiere became a fan favorite as Kirby Reed in 2011’s Scream 4. After stepping away from acting for several years, she returned to the role in 2023’s Scream VI.
Her Most Recent Screen Role and Memoir Arrived in 2026
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Panettiere’s most recent released screen appearance was in the psychological thriller Sleepwalker, which arrived in January 2026. A few months later, Grand Central Publishing released her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, on May 19.
The book gave Panettiere an opportunity to recount her life in her own words after growing up in the entertainment industry. Her publisher described the memoir as covering postpartum depression, addiction and recovery, trauma, domestic abuse and loss, as well as the pressures that accompanied becoming famous at a young age.
SAG-AFTRA Mourns a Member Since Childhood
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SAG-AFTRA said Panettiere had been a member of the performers’ union since 1994, reflecting a professional career that began when she was still a child.
“We join in mourning the sudden passing of Hayden Panettiere,” the union wrote in its public tribute, extending its condolences to her daughter, family, friends and fans.
Her career included a Grammy nomination connected to A Bug’s Life, two Golden Globe nominations for Nashville and roles that remained closely associated with her decades after she first appeared onscreen.