Heroes’ and ‘Nashville’ Star Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36
American actor and singer Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36, her family confirmed on Sunday.
Panettiere’s father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere, announced her death in a statement released through her publicist. No cause of death has been disclosed. Her publicist told NBC News that the death is being investigated, so speculation circulating online about what happened should not be treated as established fact.
Panettiere became internationally recognised in 2006 for playing Claire Bennet, the seemingly indestructible cheerleader at the centre of NBC’s superhero drama Heroes.
She later starred as country singer Juliette Barnes in Nashville, a role that earned her two Golden Globe nominations and allowed her to combine acting with music.
Her screen career began much earlier.
Panettiere worked as a child performer before voicing Dot in Pixar’s 1998 film A Bug’s Life. She later appeared in films including Remember the Titans and became part of the Scream franchise as Kirby Reed.
Her most recent film appearance came in the psychological thriller Sleepwalker, released in January 2026.
Earlier this year, Panettiere also returned to public attention with her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, published in May. In the book and accompanying interviews, she discussed growing up in the entertainment industry, postpartum depression, addiction and other difficult periods in her life.
Her final Instagram post was published on July 27, around three weeks before her death, and showed her smiling alongside photographer Randall Slavin.
Tributes began appearing across the entertainment industry shortly after her death was confirmed.
SAG-AFTRA, of which Panettiere had been a member since 1994, said it was mourning her sudden death and extended condolences to her family, friends and fans.
Panettiere is survived by her daughter, Kaya, and her parents. Her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at the age of 28 from complications linked to an enlarged heart and an aortic-valve condition.
Her death comes just days before what would have been her 37th birthday on August 21.
