“Nashville” Star Hayden Panettiere Has Died
on • Updated
Actress Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36.
A statement released on behalf of Hayden Panettiere’s father, Skip, announced the star’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,” the statement read.
The outlet also reported that Skip Panettiere requested privacy for the family as they take “time to process this unimaginable loss.”
Early Monday morning, authorities in Greenville, South Carolina, issued a news release confirming that police and EMS personnel responded to a report of an unresponsive woman at Judson Mill Lofts on Easley Bridge Road just before 2 p.m. on Sunday (Aug. 16).
When authorities arrived, they found Panettiere and administered aid, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Local news sources report that the actress was traveling with her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, who is from Greenville. The case is under investigation by police and the Greenville County Coroner’s Office. A preliminary investigation shows no signs of foul play.
Hayden has openly struggled in recent years. After giving birth to her daughter in 2014, the actress suffered from severe postpartum depression and subsequent addiction. She relinquished full custody of her daughter in order to focus on her recovery.
In one of her final interviews, Hayden opened up to podcaster Jay Shetty about depression, addiction, and domestic abuse, and walking away from her career. At the end of the 2-hour interview, Panettiere said she was hopeful about her future.
“I finally feel like I have shaken off all of this darkness and this negativity, and that means that I’ve closed one door and another has opened,” she said. “I can feel it opened and I can feel all the possibilities, all the exciting possibilities. I feel like I have a lot more life to live.”
Hayden Panettiere’s Career
Hayden Panettiere was a beloved star of film and television. Her acting career started at just 11 months old when she appeared in her first television commercial.
At the age of five, she landed her first recurring role in the soap opera “One Life To Live” and later “Guiding Light.” Roles in “Ally McBeal,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” and other series followed.
RELATED: HAYDEN PANETTIERE SAYS FILMING “NASHVILLE” WAS “VERY TRAUMATIZING”
In 2012, she was cast in what would become her signature role as Juliette Barnes in the hit television series “Nashville.” A gifted vocalist, Hayden recorded a number of songs for “Nashville.”
Her role in “Nashville” earned her two Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. She also won multiple Teen Choice Awards and Young Artists Awards.
Hayden Panettiere’s Family
Hayden is survived by her dad, Skip Panettiere, her mother, Lesley Vogel, and her daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, whom she shared with her former fiancé, Ukrainian former professional heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.
Her brother, Jansen, died in 2023 at the age of 28 due to cardiomegaly (enlarged heart) and aortic valve complications.
No further details about Hayden’s death have been made available as of press time.
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