Photo by chaubaby via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image cropped by Bellingham Metro News.
Actress Hayden Panettiere, widely known for her roles in Heroes, Nashville, Malcolm in the Middle and the Screamfranchise, has died at 36.
Panettiere’s representative confirmed her death to ABC News on Sunday, Aug. 16. Details surrounding her death, including a cause, had not been publicly released as of Sunday evening.
Her representative said in a statement that Panettiere was an “incredible light and a force of nature” who brought joy to those who knew her and to millions who watched her work.
Panettiere spent nearly her entire life in the entertainment industry. Her acting career began when she was a child, eventually leading to appearances in television programs including One Life to Live and Guiding Light. She later appeared in the 2000 film Remember the Titans before gaining widespread recognition as Claire Bennet in NBC’s superhero drama Heroes. The Golden Globes’ biography of Panettiere identifies Heroes as her breakthrough television role.
She later became closely associated with the character Juliette Barnes on ABC and CMT’s country music drama Nashville, starring alongside Connie Britton. The role brought Panettiere two Golden Globe nominations for supporting actress.
Panettiere was also well known to horror audiences for playing Kirby Reed in Scream 4, a role she later returned to in the franchise. Her career included film and television work spanning from childhood through adulthood.
Outside of Scream, Heroes and Nashville, Panettiere appeared in a number of recognizable films, including I Love You, Beth Cooper, Bring It On: All or Nothing, Shanghai Kiss and Disney’s animated film Dinosaur.
Her death comes a little more than three years after the death of her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere. Jansen died in February 2023 at age 28 from cardiomegaly, or an enlarged heart, coupled with aortic valve complication, according to the Panettiere family. Hayden spoke publicly several times in the years afterward about the impact of losing her only sibling. ABC News reported on her tribute to Jansen in February 2025.
Panettiere remained publicly active in the months leading up to her death. In May, she spoke with ABC News while promoting her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, which explored parts of her life and career.
ABC News described the announcement as a developing story Sunday night, with additional information expected as it becomes available.
Photo: Chaubaby via Wikimedia Commons.
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