‘Nashville’ Alum Charles Esten Notes “Strange Coincidence” of Being in Greenville, South Carolina Days Before Hayden Panettiere’s Death

Hayden Panettiere, the actress known for her role as Juliette Barnes on the ABC drama series Nashville, has died at the age of 36. According to Variety, she died on Sunday, August 16, at a private residence in Greenville, South Carolina.

The news of her death has prompted an outpouring of grief from her former co-stars. Charles Esten, who played Deacon Claybourne on the show, noted it was a "strange coincidence" that he was in Greenville, South Carolina, just days before her death. He recalled becoming fast friends with Panettiere during the audition process and early days of making the series, and wished he had a chance to see and reconnect with her, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Connie Britton, who starred alongside Panettiere on the show, also paid tribute to her, saying she has "no words" following the news of her death. Sylvia Jefferies, who portrayed Panettiere's on-screen mother Jolene Barnes, shared a personal tribute on Instagram, describing Panettiere's presence as overwhelming and her moods as shifting like the weather.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Hollywood Reporter, Gulf News, Deadline, Variety — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.