American actor Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36, according to reports by US media.
She was best known for TV shows such as Nashville and Heroes.
Hayden Panettiere played Juliette in Nashville. (Supplied: Lionsgate)
In a statement provided to US outlet ABC News, Panettiere’s father, Skip, said his daughter was “a force of nature”.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” he said.
“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 on-screen.”
No cause of death was announced, and a publicist for the actor did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press.
Hayden Panettiere at the 21st Annual Critics’ Choice Awards in 2016. (Reuters: Danny Moloshok)
Panettiere had a prolific career dating back to 1996, and her credits included the voice of Dot in A Bug’s Life, Remember the Titans and Scream VI.
A former child actor, Panettiere gained widespread recognition voicing Dot in Pixar’s 1998 animated hit. Her work on the film’s read-along album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.
Her role as a cheerleader with superpowers in Heroes propelled her to fame, with the series revolving around the mantra,”Save the cheerleader, save the world”.
“I think Heroes is really hot because it’s just a really great combination of everything that people love. They love reality, they love sci-fi and things like X-Men, where they get to dream of something bigger,” Panettiere told The Associated Press in 2008.
“And at the core of it are these human stories that people can relate to, very rugged. And it’s just grabbed everyone in every age group.”
Hayden Panettiere did all her own singing on Nashville. (Supplied: Lionsgate)
In Nashville, she starred as fictional country singer Juliette Barnes. The musical drama series ran from 2012 to 2018.
Panettiere sang all of her character’s songs, and her performance earned her two Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress in 2013 and 2014.
The actor’s most recent appearance was in the psychological thriller Sleepwalker, released in the US in January 2026.
She had been open about her struggles with alcohol addiction and depression, including after the birth of her daughter in 2014.
In a memoir published this year titled This Is Me: A Reckoning, she wrote about her decision to give full custody of her daughter to her former partner, boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
The star gave one of her final cover interviews to parenting outlet Momé in July, where she discussed traumatic childbirth, postpartum depression and her daughter’s custody.
“It wasn’t a decision I made lightly, nor was it a decision I even wanted to make,” she said.
“I was going through a really challenging time in my life… I knew I needed to be able to put her first so that I could get the help I needed and be the mom she needed me to be.”
The article ends with her message to other new mothers: “You’re stronger than you know. And you’re going to be just fine.”
Her brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at 28 from complications related to an enlarged heart and an aortic-valve condition, according to a family statement made to US media later that year.
ABC/wires