Hayden Panettiere, ‘Heroes’ and ‘Nashville’ Star, Dead at 36...

Skip to main content August 16, 2026 Hayden Panettiere Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, has died, according to ABC News. She was 36. “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. 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 representative said in a statement. Details surrounding her death are currently unknown. A rep for Panettiere did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone’s message. Panettiere started her acting career before she could walk, with her mother, actress Lesley Vogel, booking commercials for her daughter. Before she turned five, she landed a role on the soap opera One Life to Live. She later joined the soap opera Guiding Light in 1996 before landing one of her most memorable roles as the football-loving young daughter of assistant coach Bill Yoast in the 2000 film Remember the Titans. However, her true breakout role came in 2006, when she played cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC sci-fi series Heroes for four seasons. She continued to act steadily throughout her career, but her star hit an all-time high when she signed on as Juliette Barnes in the series Nashville from 2012 to 2018. She earned two Golden Globe nominations for the role. She is also known for her film and television roles in Remember the Titans, Raising Helen, Scream 4, Scream VI, Ice Princess, I Love You, Beth Cooper, and more. Panettiere has long been candid about her struggles navigating child stardom and fame, often opening up about her experiences with severe postpartum depression (PPD), addiction, and anxiety. During an interview with podcast host Jay Shetty, she revealed she was bullied by a teacher as early as kindergarten, adding that, as her acting resume grew, she felt increasingly isolated from her peers. At 19, she dissolved her business relationship with her manager mother. In May, she released a memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning.” “The first thing I’d thought of when I woke up was alcohol. Not my child, not my job, and not the rest of my life. I needed a drink to function — at 6 a.m.,” she wrote in her memoir of her struggles to cope with PPD. Trending Stories Why Is Everyone So Mad About Benny Blanco's Latin Album? Watch Noah Kahan and Surprise Guest Chappell Roan Perform ‘California’ at Rose Bowl Stadium Return of the Kings: Inside Rush’s Fifty Something Tour A GoFundMe for Lindsay Clancy’s Parents Raises Over $700,000 Amid Murder Trial She is the mother to one child, daughter Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, whom she had with ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko in 2014. Her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in February 2023 of aortic valve complications at age 28. Nick Reiner Blocked From $1.5 Million Trust Fund as He Faces Murder Charges for Parents’ Killings Courts and Crime Althea Legaspi 'We Forget — But the Camera Remembers': How a Hippie River Trip Gave Birth to a Hit Doc Series Current Affairs ‘Lanterns’ Really Is ‘True Detective’ With Superheroes — For Better or Worse So Fresh, So Green Chris Carter Talks R-Rated New ‘Torture Porn’ Director’s Cut of ‘The X-Files: I Want to Believe’ The Truth Is in Here Watch Katseye Reveal Their Inner ‘Animal’ on ‘Fallon’ Late-Night TV Emily Zemler Go to PMC.com Most Popular David Ellison Says He’ll Pull Paramount Out of California Starting Oct. 1 if States Refuse to Negotiate Settlement in Antitrust Suit 'X-Men' Finally Unveils Its Cast, Including Adam Driver, Inde Navarrette, Christopher Abbott Nancy Guthrie’s Disappearance May Have a Chillingly Simple Explanation, Forensic Psychologist Says NFL Team Values 2026: Cowboys Lead at $15.5B, Average Up 31% You might also like Hayden Panettiere, ‘Heroes’ and ‘Scream’ Star, Dies at 36 3 hours ago Early Access to Bath & Body Works x The Nightmare Before Christmas Is On (With an Exclusive Candle Holder) 14 hours ago ‘Lanterns’ Review: Episode 1 Lights Up Small-Town America with Big Mysteries and a Massive Twist — Spoilers 2 hours ago MSG Defeats Charles Oakley Lawsuit, but Case Still Not Over Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2026 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved. Powered by WordPress.com VIP