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, , 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.
