Heroes and Nashville actress Hayden Panettiere dies aged 36

Hayden Panettiere (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) – No cause of death has been announced. US actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, has died aged 36. A representative for the actress confirmed the death to US network ABC on Sunday, stating her family would remember her ‘incredible light’ who brought ‘immeasurable love and joy’ to all who knew her. The statement from her father Skip read: ‘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.’ Her father also asked for privacy as they ‘take time to process this unimaginable loss.’ Hayden Panettiere began acting as a child, appearing in soap operas before gaining wider recognition for her role in the 2000 sports drama Remember The Titans alongside Denzel Washington, and as the voice of Dot in Pixar’s 1998 film A Bug’s Life. She later found fame playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes and as up-and-coming country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on the hit TV series Nashville. Her performances in Nashville earned her two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress, while her singing produced 11 entries on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. Panettiere’s film credits include 2006’s Bring It On: All Or Nothing, comedy-drama Raising Helen, and appearances in Scream 4 and Scream VI as Kirby Reed. Following her rapid rise to fame, she struggled with addiction and mental health issues. In a memoir published earlier this year, she opened up about her battles with mental health, the loss of her younger brother Jansen, and her decision to give full custody of her daughter Kyra to her former partner, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, in 2018. She expressed that the idea of giving up her child was heartbreaking. Her daughter had lived with her father full-time from a young age amid her struggles. Actors’ union Sag-Aftra said they mourn her sudden passing, highlighting her long career in TV and film, including roles in Heroes and Nashville.