Heroes and Scream star Hayden Panettiere dead at 36

This story was originally published on Them.

Hayden Panettiere, the actress who starred in beloved television shows such as Nashville and Heroes before joining the Scream franchise for two installments, died on Sunday. No cause of death was immediately available, but authorities have already said that they don’t suspect foul play. She was 36 years old.

A representative for Panettiere confirmed the actress’s death and her father Skip Panettiere, in a statement to media outlets, requesting privacy “as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss."

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” he said. “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.”

Earlier this year, Panettiere opened up about many aspects of her life when she released the memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, including postpartum depression, addiction, recovery, trauma, domestic abuse, and loss. In an interview with Us Weekly released just prior to the memoir, she came out as bisexual, saying that she had previously chosen not to share that aspect of herself for fear that it might be seen as joining a “fad.”

“That’s something about me I was never able to share with the world, because it was just never the right time,” she said. “It was either I was too young, and I was being forced to be perfect at all times. I was not encouraged to just be myself. Then came the period where it felt like people coming out, especially women, saying that they were bisexual or liked girls, was a fad.”

She added that she was “afraid” of being seen as jumping “on a bandwagon.”

“I wanted to make sure that I really sat down and chose my words carefully and was able to tell my story in an honest way, that people understood,” she told Us Weekly. “On one hand, it’s sad that I had to wait till I was 36 years old to share that part of me, but better late than never, right?”

Greenville, South Carolina, police reported to Panettiere’s house on Sunday afternoon, per People magazine, where she was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Upon arrival, medical assistance was administered; however, the individual, later identified as Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene,” a spokesperson for the police told People.

Police said her death is still under investigation, but no foul play is suspected. An acquaintance of Panettiere’s called the police, per People.

While promoting This Is Me, Panettiere opened up about more than her sexuality, including her experiences of sexual abuse in Hollywood, as well as her alcholism. During a taping of On Purpose with Jay Shetty, Panettiere said that when she was 18, an older woman who she thought of as a mentor and “protector” lured her into a room on a boat where a powerful Hollywood man was waiting in a bed, undressed. Panettiere says she fled from the room and hid on the boat.

In her memoir, she also spoke about her life with ongoing alcohol addiction.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: addicts aren’t patient,” Panettiere wrote in her memoir, per People. “When we’re shaking, nauseated, anxious, lonely, or depressed, we need instant relief that sends us into that pain-free place called denial.”

She continued, “Alcohol let me say ‘Fuck it, I’ll deal with everything later,’ and within thirty seconds, I was in the zone.”

Panettiere said in her memoir that she drank to deal with the absence of her daughter Kaya, who was under the full custody of her former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko, as well as the abuse she experienced from her ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson. (In 2021, Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse, cohabitant or fellow parent, as People noted.) Panettiere gave Klitschko full custody of their daughter while she sought treatment for alcohol addiction.

Many of Hollywood’s biggest stars paid tribute to Panettiere on social media. In an Instagram post, Oscar winner Viola Davis paid homage to her “amazing talent,” calling her “so gifted” as well as “an old, wise soul with such a deep heart.”

“I wish the world had more time with you because I had a burning curiosity about who you were becoming,” Davis wrote. “I saw this beautiful Phoenix rising from the ashes. Your tests became your testimony, and your testimony became your legacy. You will be remembered. Rest well, Hayden.”

Bryan Fuller, the creator of Hannibal and Pushing Daisies who also wrote on the first season of Heroes, also shared a message in Panettiere’s honor on social media.

“Hayden was more than an actress, she was a muse,” Fuller wrote. “Wise beyond her years and already saddled with so much of a life, she left an indelible mark on me as a writer and a storyteller. Incredibly sad news.”

Panettiere’s only other sibling, Jansen, died in 2023 due to an enlarged heart.

“He was my only sibling, and it was my job to protect him,” she told People after his death. “When I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul.”

She added that she "will always be heartbroken about Jansen’s death. “I will never be able to get over it. No matter how many years go by, I will never get over his loss.”

In her final interview before her death, in a July cover of Momé, Panetierre described herself as a work in progress.

“I’m a work in progress — we all are,” she said. “I take each day as it comes. I’m doing the work, and I’m doing my best.”

She ended the interview with words to others about their ability to face adversity.

“You’re stronger than you know,” she said. “And you’re going to be just fine.”

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