Hayden Panettiere, the actress who rose to fame through Heroes and Nashville before appearing in the Scream franchise, has died at the age of 36. Her family confirmed her death through a representative, with her father, Skip Panettiere, describing her as “an incredible light and a force of nature” in a statement shared with ABC News.
Panettiere died on Sunday, August 16, in South Carolina. Emergency responders were called after she was found unresponsive, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said there were no immediate signs of foul play, while the circumstances surrounding her death remain under investigation.
Hayden Panettiere’s Career Spanned Film, Television and Video Games
Panettiere began performing as a child and established herself as a recognizable young Hollywood talent with appearances in projects including Remember the Titans and A Bug’s Life. Her major breakthrough came with NBC’s Heroes, where she played Claire Bennet, the cheerleader with regenerative abilities who became one of the show’s defining characters.
She later took on another career-defining role as Juliette Barnes in Nashville. Her performance as the ambitious country singer earned her multiple Golden Globe nominations and allowed her to demonstrate her abilities beyond the superhero genre.
Her film credits also included Scream 4 and Scream VI, while she voiced characters in projects such as Until Dawn. Her final acting role was in the 2026 psychological thriller Sleepwalker, according to Reuters.
In 2026, Panettiere also released her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, reflecting on her childhood fame, motherhood and difficult personal experiences. Her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at age 28.
Panettiere is survived by her daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. Her family has asked for privacy as they grieve her death.
