American actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36.
Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed her death in a statement, describing her as “an incredible light and a force of nature” who brought love and joy to those around her.
He asked for privacy as the family comes to terms with the loss.
The circumstances surrounding Panettiere’s death remain under investigation. Her publicist, Kasey Kitchen, said authorities were investigating and that more information was expected to become available.
Police in Greenville, South Carolina, said officers and emergency medical personnel responded to a report of an unresponsive woman at about 1:50 p.m. on Sunday. Panettiere was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to police, the preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. An acquaintance of the actress reportedly made the 911 call.
Panettiere had spoken publicly about her struggles with postpartum depression and addiction. She also discussed the difficult decision to give up custody of her only child, daughter Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, whom she had with former partner and Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
The actress recently published her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she opened up about several aspects of her personal life and past relationships.
Her death also comes about three years after the unexpected death of her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, who died in 2023 from an undiagnosed heart condition.
Reflecting on his death in a 2024 interview with NBC’s TODAY, Hayden said losing someone who had shared the important moments of her life had deeply affected her.
Born in Palisades, New York, Panettiere began her career as a child, appearing in television commercials at just 11 months old.
She went on to appear in soap operas including One Life to Live and Guiding Light before landing roles in films such as Remember the Titans and Bring It On: All or Nothing. She also lent her voice to the animated film A Bug’s Life.
Her breakthrough came with the television series Heroes, where she played cheerleader Claire Bennet. She later starred as Juliette Barnes in the musical drama series Nashville.
Panettiere’s death comes just days before her 37th birthday, which would have been on Friday.