Hayden Panettiere, the actress who rose from child stardom to become a defining face of Heroes, Nashville and the Scream franchise, has died. She was 36.
Panettiere died Sunday, August 16. Her father, Skip Panettiere, announced her death, while her family also confirmed the news through her publicist. No cause of death has been publicly disclosed.
Panettiere spent virtually her entire life in the entertainment industry. She began appearing in commercials as a child before moving into daytime television with roles on One Life to Live and Guiding Light. Her early film work included Remember the Titans, while animation audiences knew her as the voice of Dot in Pixar’s A Bug’s Life.
Her career reached another level in 2006 when she was cast as Claire Bennet on NBC’s Heroes. Panettiere played a high school cheerleader who discovers she possesses extraordinary regenerative abilities, making her nearly impossible to kill. Claire quickly became one of the show’s defining characters, while the phrase “Save the cheerleader, save the world” became synonymous with the series and a memorable piece of 2000s television culture.
The role transformed Panettiere into an international star, but it would not be the only defining performance of her career.
In 2012, she began starring opposite Connie Britton as Juliette Barnes on ABC’s Nashville. Her portrayal of the ambitious and complicated country music star allowed Panettiere to showcase both her dramatic and musical abilities. She earned two Golden Globe nominations for her performance during the show’s six-season run.
Panettiere also developed a particularly strong following among horror fans after playing Kirby Reed in 2011’s Scream 4. Kirby became a fan favorite, and questions about whether the character survived the events of the film persisted for more than a decade. Panettiere eventually returned to the franchise in 2023’s Scream VI.
Her other film credits included Ice Princess, Bring It On: All or Nothing and I Love You, Beth Cooper. She also crossed into video games with her performance as Samantha “Sam” Giddings in the 2015 horror title Until Dawn. Her final screen role was in the 2026 psychological thriller Sleepwalker.
Away from the screen, Panettiere became increasingly candid about the challenges she faced while growing up and living much of her life in the public eye. Earlier this year, she released the memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning. She had previously spoken publicly about her experiences with postpartum depression, addiction and recovery.
Her family had already endured tragedy in recent years. Panettiere’s younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at the age of 28.
Panettiere is survived by her daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, as well as her parents.
At just 36, Panettiere leaves behind a career spanning three decades and several generations of popular culture. For some audiences, she will forever be Claire Bennet, the indestructible cheerleader at the center of Heroes. For others, she was the fiercely complicated Juliette Barnes or Scream fan favorite Kirby Reed. Her work stretched across television, film, animation, music and gaming.
No cause of death had been announced as of publication.
This is a developing story and will be updated as additional confirmed information becomes available.
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