Actor Hayden Panettiere, known for roles in ‘Heroes,’ ‘Nashville,’ dies at 36

Actor Hayden Panettiere has died, her father said in a statement Sunday night. She was 36. “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” her father said in a statement provided by her representative. The cause and manner of death were not provided. Her publicist, Kasey Kitchen, said Panettiere’s death was being probed. It wasn’t clear if she was referring to a routine matter, such as a death investigation and autopsy. “There’s an investigation ongoing,” Kitchen said. “We should know more tomorrow.” Panettiere revealed this year that she struggled with postpartum depression and addiction, which she said led to her decision to give up custody of her only child, daughter Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, in 2018, whom she had with former partner Wladimir Klitschko, the Ukrainian professional boxer. Panettiere recently published a memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” which generated headlines over its revelations, including about her past relationships. In 2024, she described pain and grief after her younger brother died unexpectedly of an undiagnosed heart condition the previous year. “When you lose somebody that you saw in all the important moments in your life, standing right next to you, it just rocks your world,” she told NBC’s “TODAY” show. The actor was born and raised in Palisades, New York, about 40 miles north of New York City, according to Panettiere started working at 11 months old, when she appeared in television commercials, according to her Television Academy bio. She appeared on soap operas, including “One Life to Live” and “Guiding Light,” beginning at age 4. Her voice was featured in “A Bug’s Life,” the animated feature, and she eventually appeared in big-screen stories, including “Remember the Titans” and “Bring It On: All or Nothing.” One of her most impactful roles was as Juliette Barnes on television’s “Nashville.” Before that, she was Claire Bennet on the 2000s show “Heroes.” “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.