‘Heroes’ and ‘Nashville’ Star Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36

Actress and singer Hayden Panettiere, best known for her starring roles in Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36.

Panettiere died Sunday, August 16, in South Carolina. Her death was confirmed by her longtime representative and her father, Skip Panettiere.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” her father said in a statement. He remembered his daughter as “an incredible light and a force of nature” who brought love and joy to the people who knew her and the millions who watched her onscreen. The family has asked for privacy as they process the loss.

According to preliminary information released by authorities, emergency responders were called to a home in Greenville, South Carolina, Sunday afternoon after Panettiere was found unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities said the initial investigation found no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. The investigation remains ongoing, and an official cause of death has not been announced.

Panettiere spent nearly her entire life in the entertainment industry. Beginning her career as a child actor, she appeared in television and film before becoming a household name as Claire Bennet, the seemingly indestructible cheerleader at the center of NBC’s hit superhero drama Heroes. The role turned Panettiere into one of the most recognizable young television stars of the late 2000s.

She later starred as troubled country singer Juliette Barnes on Nashville. The performance allowed Panettiere to showcase both her acting and singing abilities and earned her two Golden Globe nominations.

Her film career included appearances in Remember the Titans, I Love You, Beth Cooper, Scream 4 and Scream VI. As a child, she also voiced Dot in Pixar’s A Bug’s Life. Her final screen role was in the 2026 psychological thriller Sleepwalker.

Away from the screen, Panettiere became increasingly candid about some of the most difficult periods of her life. She publicly discussed her experiences with postpartum depression and addiction and spoke openly about seeking treatment and rebuilding her life.

Her death comes just three years after the loss of her younger brother, actor and artist Jansen Panettiere, who died in February 2023 at age 28 from complications related to an enlarged heart.

Panettiere is survived by her parents and her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with former fiancé and Ukrainian boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Tributes have begun pouring in from across the entertainment industry as friends, colleagues and fans remember Panettiere’s talent and the career she built across television, film and music.

For a generation of viewers, Hayden Panettiere will remain closely associated with two characters who defined very different eras of television — the fearless Claire Bennet of Heroes and the complicated, ambitious Juliette Barnes of Nashville.

Her death comes just days before what would have been her 37th birthday on August 21.

Hayden Panettiere was 36.