Hayden Panettiere, star of Heroes, Nashville, and the Scream franchise, has died aged 36.
Announced by CBS News, the actor passed away on Monday. According to the news outlet, “an investigation is ongoing” into Panettiere’s death, with no further information at this stage.
Tributes to Panettiere are pouring in from family, friends, co-stars, celebrities, and fans. In a statement given to CBS News through a publicist, her father Skip Panettiere paid tribute to his daughter.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” his statement reads. “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. We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
New York-raised Panettiere’s screen career spanned decades, from TV roles in soap opera One Life to Live at four years old to her celebrated performance as high school cheerleader Claire on Heroes and her Golden Globe-nominated role as country music star Juliette Barnes on Nashville. In film, Panettiere was well-known for her Scream character Kirby Reed, as well as roles in Remember the Titans, Custody, Bring It On: All or Nothing, and Raising Helen. And she also gained fame for her voice acting in video games Until Dawn and Kingdom Hearts.
Panetierre detailed her life in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, released in May 2026. She is survived by her daughter, Kaya.
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Hayden Panettiere in “Nashville,” for which she gained two Golden Globe nominations.
Credit: Mark Levine / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
Beneath Panetierre’s final Instagram post, friends and fans are posting messages of grief and shock at the actor’s passing, including actor Selma Blair, who wrote, “I love you. Don’t be gone.” 7th Heaven star Beverley Mitchell also posted under the photo, describing Panetierre as a “bright light.”
Viola Davis, who starred in Custody with Panettiere in 2016, posted on Instagram. “What an amazing talent you were….so gifted,” she wrote. “I wish the world had more time with you because I had a burning curiosity about who you were becoming. I saw this beautiful Phoenix rising from the ashes. Your tests became your testimony, and your testimony became your legacy. You will be remembered.”
Panetierre’s Scream co-star Melissa Barrera posted a tribute in an Instagram Story, writing, “Rest in peace sweet Hayden.”
Hayden Panettiere’s Kirby Reed is a ‘Scream’ franchise legend.
Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy-Lenz posted on Instagram mourning her long-time friend, saying she met Panettiere at New York production studio Screen Gems in childhood. “I’m crushed. I knew the wild little blonde. Was she nine? Ten? I was eighteen. She ran through the Screen Gem studio hallways at 222 E44th St. laughing and playing games in between blocking and camera rehearsals.”
Singer Jojo shared an Instagram Story writing of the “devastating news.”
SAG-AFTRA posted on X in tribute to Panettiere, who was a member of the guild for decades. “We mourn the sudden passing of Hayden Panettiere,” the post reads. “Our hearts are with her daughter, family, friends & fans.|
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