Hayden Panettiere, ‘Heroes’ and ‘Remember the Titans’ Star, Dies at 36

Entertainment Desk: Hayden Panettiere, the actress best known for her roles in Heroes, Remember the Titans and Nashville, has died at the age of 36, according to her publicist.

Panettiere was found unresponsive at Judson Mill Lofts in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday afternoon. Police and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene, where she was later pronounced dead.

Authorities said their preliminary investigation found no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said Panettiere was found in cardiac arrest and that attempts to revive her were unsuccessful. An autopsy was completed Monday, but no trauma contributing to her death was found. Her cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and additional testing.

Panettiere began her career as a child actor and had already appeared in numerous commercials and television projects at a young age. She gained widespread recognition as cheerleader Claire Bennet in the hit science-fiction series Heroes.

She later earned critical and commercial attention for her role as country singer Juliette Barnes in the television drama Nashville. The performance earned her two Golden Globe nominations, while her character’s songs also reached the Billboard charts.

Her film credits included appearances in the Scream franchise and Remember the Titans, where she appeared as a child.

Away from the screen, Panettiere was open about her struggles with addiction, postpartum depression and the pressures of growing up in the public eye. In 2022, she spoke publicly about her past addiction to opioids and alcohol. She also faced the devastating loss of her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, who died in 2023 at the age of 28 from a heart condition.

In May, Panettiere released her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she discussed her childhood in show business, addiction, physical abuse and her recovery.

She also spoke about her experiences in a CBS News interview with Gayle King, describing the intense pressure she experienced after entering the entertainment industry as an infant.

Panettiere became a mother in 2014 to her daughter, Kaya. In 2015, she entered a treatment facility for postpartum depression, later describing that period as one of the most difficult times of her life. In 2018, she gave primary custody of Kaya to her former fiancé, boxer Wladimir Klitschko.

In her final years, Panettiere sought to use her experiences to encourage others to speak openly about their struggles and imperfections.

Her family described her as “an incredible light and a force of nature” and asked the public to respect their privacy as they grieve her unexpected loss.

Hayden Panettiere leaves behind a career spanning more than three decades and a legacy that began in childhood and continued through some of television and film’s most recognizable roles.