Her death comes just months after she published a raw memoir about her battles with addiction, postpartum depression and loss, a book that now reads like the final chapter of a life fought hard and in public.
"An Incredible Light and a Force of Nature"
Her father, Skip Panettiere, shared a statement through her representative.
"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."
What Police Know So Far
Officers in Greenville responded around 1:51 p.m. Sunday after a report of an unresponsive female, according to local police. Medical assistance was administered, but Panettiere was pronounced dead.
Greenville police are investigating alongside the Greenville County Coroner's Office. Preliminary findings have not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances, police said.
From Child Star to Prime-Time Icon
Panettiere's career started early and never really paused. At just eight years old, she voiced Princess Dot in 1998's "A Bug's Life," making her one of the youngest people ever nominated for a Grammy Award.
Then came the roles that defined a generation of television. As Claire Bennet, the self-healing cheerleader at the heart of "Heroes," she anchored one of the biggest shows of the late 2000s. As Juliette Barnes on "Nashville," she played a young country music sensation clawing her way through fame, a character whose storylines of alcoholism and postpartum depression mirrored her own life.
"I could relate to a lot of those storylines like the alcoholism and postpartum depression. They hit close to home," she said in 2022.
Her film work stretched from "Remember the Titans" opposite Denzel Washington to "Bring It On: All or Nothing," "I Love You Beth Cooper" and "Ice Princess." Horror fans knew her as Kirby Reed in 2011's "Scream 4," a fan-favorite role she reprised in the franchise's sixth installment.
A Life Fought in the Open
Panettiere never hid her struggles. Earlier this year she released "This Is Me: A Reckoning," a candid memoir tracing her path from child stardom through postpartum depression, addiction, recovery and domestic abuse.
The battles were severe. She was once hospitalized with jaundice, and doctors warned her that her liver was "going to give out."
In 2018, at the depths of her substance misuse, she relinquished custody of her daughter, Kaya, to her former partner, Ukrainian boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko. She later called it the hardest decision of her life.
"It was the hardest thing I could do," she said in a 2022 interview. "But the best thing for my daughter was to make sure she was okay, take care of myself and make sure I could be a good mom to her. And sometimes that means letting go."
The Loss That Broke Her Heart
Grief marked her final years. Her younger brother, voice-over actor Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at 28 from an enlarged heart with aortic valve complications.
"There was nothing in my life that feels like losing my other half," she told podcaster Jay Shetty earlier this year. "We were so close, and being the older sibling, who it's your job to protect them and keep them safe, and not being able to, heartbreaking doesn't even begin to cover it."
Advocate Beyond the Screen
Off camera, Panettiere championed mental health awareness, animal rights and environmental causes. Washington, DC, officials honored her advocacy for DC voting rights and statehood, with the mayor proclaiming "Hayden Panettiere Day" on September 16, 2011.
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, she launched a relief fund in 2022 to raise money for medical supplies and protective gear, saying she could not "continue to sit on the sidelines" while people suffered in a country where she had friends and family. Klitschko's brother, Vitali Klitschko, is the mayor of Kyiv.
The Tributes Pour In
SAG-AFTRA, which counted Panettiere as a member since 1994, mourned "the sudden passing of Hayden Panettiere," adding: "Our hearts are with her daughter, family, friends & fans."
"Rest in peace sweet Hayden," wrote Melissa Barrera, her "Scream VI" co-star, on Instagram.
Shetty, who interviewed her months before her death, said: "I can't believe it. Our friendship had just begun and I was so moved by the conversation we shared earlier this year. My love and condolences to her family and fans."
Fans also noted a painful coincidence: her "Ice Princess" co-star Michelle Trachtenberg died in February 2025 at 39, from complications of diabetes mellitus.
What Comes Next
The Greenville County Coroner's Office will determine the cause of death, with results expected in the coming weeks. Panettiere is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How did Hayden Panettiere die?
- No cause of death has been released. She was found unresponsive at a Greenville, South Carolina, apartment complex Sunday afternoon. Police say preliminary findings show no signs of foul play.
- What was Hayden Panettiere famous for?
- Playing self-healing cheerleader Claire Bennet in "Heroes" and country star Juliette Barnes in "Nashville," plus roles in "Remember the Titans," "Scream 4" and "Scream VI."
- Did she have children?
- Yes, an 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, with former partner Wladimir Klitschko, the Ukrainian former boxing champion.
- What did she reveal in her memoir?
- "This Is Me: A Reckoning," released earlier this year, covered her journey from child stardom through postpartum depression, addiction, recovery and domestic abuse.
- What happened to her brother?
- Jansen Panettiere, a voice-over actor, died in 2023 at 28 from an enlarged heart with aortic valve complications. She described losing him as losing "my other half."
