Actress Hayden Panettierre, best known for roles in “Nashville” and the NBC drama “Heroes,” has died at the age of 36.
A representative for the actress confirmed the news on Sunday in a statement delivered first to ABC News: “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.”
Panettierre had been very open in recent years about her history of substance abuse and her battle with postpartum depression — and had just published her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” in May.
The actress was raised in New York by her parents, actress and producer Lesley Vogel and Alan Lee “Skip” Panettiere, a retired New York City Fire Department captain — and she landed her first acting gig at just 11-months old.
“My introduction to acting was actually at 11 months old,” Panettierre said during a 2023 interview with Entertainment Tonight, referencing a Playskool Toy Train commercial. “I don’t know if that would really be an introduction to acting, because I don’t think acting was involved at that point. I didn’t have lines, I was just playing.”
Panettierre went on to land guest roles on several soap operas and other shows like “Law & Order: SVU,” but it was not until she landed the role of Claire Bennet — the indestructible cheerleader on NBC’s “Heroes” — that her career really got off the ground.
When “Heroes” ended in 2010, Panettierre landed another series — “Nashville” — that ran from 2012 to 2018.
Her on-again, off-again relationship with heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko lasted from 2009-2011 and 2013-2018. They had one daughter together, Kaya, who was born in 2014.
Panettierre had a younger brother, Jansen Panettierre, who passed away in 2023 due t0 cardiomegaly — an enlarged heart — and aortic valve complications. He was 28 years old.
No cause of death has yet been reported for the actress.