Tributes Pour In for Actress Hayden Panettiere After Her Death at 36

Actress Hayden Panettiere, who gained fame for her roles in TV shows like Heroes and Nashville, passed away at the age of 36 on Sunday. She leaves behind her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko. Greenville Police responded to a call about an unresponsive female in Greenville, South Carolina, and pronounced Panettiere deceased at the scene.

The police statement noted that there were no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed her death in a statement to ABC News, describing her passing as an "unimaginable loss."

Tributes have been pouring in from colleagues and friends. Academy Award winner Viola Davis described Panettiere as "an amazing talent" and wished the world had more time to get to know her. Bethany Joy Lenz, a longtime friend, expressed her sadness, saying, "Her intelligence was astonishing. She understood scenes and nuance and human struggle like no child I'd ever seen on camera."

Rosie O'Donnell posted, "Oh my god - heartbroken." Actress Taryn Manning called Panettiere "such a sweetheart- so rad - down to earth, kind, and consistently the same every time I saw her."

Panettiere began her onscreen career at the age of 11 months in a Playskool commercial. She went on to star in 27 episodes of One Life to Live between 1994 and 1997 and appeared in films such as Raising Helen, Remember the Titans, and Scream 4. Her most prominent role was as Claire Bennet in the sci-fi action series Heroes (2006-2009) and Juliette Barnes in the drama series Nashville (2010-2015).

In 2023, she returned to the Scream horror franchise for its sixth installment. Panettiere published her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," in May 2026, reflecting on her personal struggles, including postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter.