Actress Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in Heroes, Nashville and the Scream film franchise, has died at the age of 36.
Panettiere’s death was confirmed Sunday, August 16, by her representative to ABC News. Her father, Skip Panettiere, provided a statement announcing his daughter’s death.
“It is with profound 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 all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen,” Skip Panettiere said in the statement.
Her father also requested privacy as the family takes time to process the loss. As of Sunday night, no cause of death had been announced and further details surrounding her death were not immediately available.
Born August 21, 1989, in Palisades, New York, Panettiere began working in entertainment as a child. Her early television career included roles on the daytime soap operas One Life to Live and Guiding Light. She also provided the voice of Dot in Pixar’s A Bug’s Life and appeared in the 2000 football drama Remember the Titans.
Panettiere gained international recognition in 2006 when she was cast as Claire Bennet in NBC’s Heroes. Her character, a high school cheerleader with regenerative abilities, became central to the series and its widely recognized phrase, “Save the cheerleader, save the world.”
Her film credits also included Raising Helen, Ice Princess and Bring It On: All or Nothing. In 2011, she joined the Scream franchise as Kirby Reed in Scream 4, later reprising the role in Scream VI in 2023.
In 2012, Panettiere began starring opposite Connie Britton in the musical drama Nashville as country singer Juliette Barnes. She remained with the series through its conclusion in 2018 and received two Golden Globe nominations for her performance.
In addition to acting, Panettiere worked as a singer and voice performer. Her voice acting credits included the Kingdom Hearts video game series, and she portrayed Samantha “Sam” Giddings in the video game Until Dawn.
Panettiere returned to the Scream franchise following a period away from acting and continued making public appearances in subsequent years. In May 2026, she published her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, which chronicled her experiences growing up in the entertainment industry and aspects of her personal life.
Panettiere was the mother of daughter Kaya, born in 2014, whom she shared with former fiancé and heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko. Her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in February 2023 at the age of 28.
Hayden Panettiere would have turned 37 on August 21.
