Actress Hayden Panettiere Dies at Age 36

Actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in Heroes, Nashville, and the Scream franchise, has died at the age of 36.

Her representative spoke to ABC News:

It is with deep sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to everyone who knew her and to the millions of people who watched her on screen.

At this time, no further information regarding the circumstances or cause of her death has been disclosed.

The actress's passing comes after she spent the last few years speaking openly about several hardships that had profoundly shaped her life.

A Struggle with Addiction

Hayden Panettiere had never hidden the fact that she had gone through particularly difficult years due to addiction issues.

After the birth of her daughter, Kaya, in 2014, the actress suffered from severe postpartum depression. She later explained that she had a very hard time coping during that period and turned to alcohol in an attempt to manage her emotions.

Her drinking eventually led to an addiction to alcohol and opioids. In 2022, she opened up candidly about this period of her life, revealing in particular that her substance use issues had begun when she was still very young.

In 2020, she began treatment to regain her sobriety. She subsequently spoke openly about her journey and the efforts required to regain control of her life.

The Tragic Death of Her Brother

In February 2023, her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, died suddenly at the age of 28. He, too, was an actor and had appeared in several television productions.

Her family later revealed that Jansen had died from complications related to cardiomegaly—an enlarged heart—as well as problems with his aortic valve.

Her brother's death had deeply affected Hayden. In an interview with People in 2024, she explained that her grief had, among other things, caused her agoraphobia to resurface.

Despite the many hardships she had endured, Panettiere had tried to get her life back on track and resume her career.

Just a few months before her death, she had also chosen to share her story in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, published in May 2026.

For now, her family and her representative have not provided any information regarding the cause of her death.