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.
US actress Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36, her father Alan "Skip" Panettiere confirmed in a statement to ABC News on Sunday. The announcement brings an end to the career of the performer, who achieved widespread recognition for her roles in the television series "Heroes" and "Nashville," as well as voicing the character Dot in the 1998 animated film "A Bug's Life."
In a statement released to US media, Skip Panettiere described his daughter as an "incredible light" and a "force of nature" who brought joy to millions of viewers. He urged for privacy during this period of profound sadness, noting that the cause of Panettiere's death has not yet been announced by authorities or her family.
Panettiere began her professional life as a child actor, appearing in commercials and soap operas before securing her breakthrough role as Claire Bennett in NBC's "Heroes," which debuted in 2006. She later starred as Juliette Barnes for six seasons on the musical drama "Nashville" and appeared in several films, including entries in the "Scream" franchise and "Remember the Titans." Her final screen appearance was in the psychological thriller "Sleepwalker," released in the United States in January of this year.
Beyond her acting credits, Panettiere earned a Grammy nomination for the children's spoken word album associated with "A Bug's Life." She was also open about her personal struggles, having spoken publicly about her battles with alcohol addiction and depression during her twenties.
Her memoir, published earlier this year, detailed her experiences with mental health, the loss of her younger brother Jansen Panettiere, who died in 2023 at the age of 28, and her decision to grant full custody of her daughter to her former partner, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
