Hayden Panettiere dies aged 36: Father confirms passing of US actress
Alan "Skip" Panettiere releases statement following the death of his daughter, whose cause of death remains undisclosed.
American actress Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36, her father Alan "Skip" Panettiere confirmed in a statement released on Sunday. The news was first reported by US media outlets including ABC News, which cited the family's official communication regarding the actress's passing.
"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden," her father said in the statement. "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."
Panettiere rose to prominence as a child actor, gaining widespread recognition for voicing the character Dot in Pixar’s 1998 animated film A Bug's Life. Her performance on the film's accompanying read-along album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.
She achieved further acclaim for her television work, particularly her role as Claire Bennet in the NBC series Heroes, which debuted in 2006. Panettiere also starred as Juliette Barnes in the musical drama Nashville, a role that secured her two Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress in 2013 and 2014. Her filmography also includes appearances in the Scream franchise and the 2000 football drama Remember the Titans.
Her most recent acting credit was in the psychological thriller Sleepwalker, released in the United States in January 2026. In the film, she portrayed a grieving mother plagued by sleepwalking episodes, according to data from IMDb.
The specific cause of Panettiere's death has not been reported by authorities or her family. Her agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters, and a representative confirmed the death to The Guardian on Sunday night.
Panettiere’s passing follows the death of her brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, in 2023. He died at the age of 28 from complications related to an enlarged heart and an aortic-valve condition, according to a family statement made to US media at that time.
