‘Heroes’ and ‘Nashville’ star Hayden Panettiere dies at 36

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Hayden Panettiere, known for roles in “Heroes” and “Nashville,” has died at 36.

Her father announced her death in a statement released to ABC News.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” he said. “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.”

He asked for privacy as the family “takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”

She would have turned 37 Aug. 21, The Associated Press reported.

A cause of death has not been released, but WHNS reported that she was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, according to the Greenville Police Department. A friend of Panettiere called 911.

Her cause of death is under investigation, but preliminary findings have not found signs of foul play or anything suspicious, WHNS reported.

The television station said it was not initially known why she was in Greenville, but her “Nashville” co-star Charles Esten was performing a portion of his tour at a local music venue

Panettiere started out as a child actor on commercials and soap operas, the AP reported.

One of her first roles was in 1994 on “One Life to Live,” and then she appeared on “Guiding Light” two years later, People magazine reported.

She appeared opposite Denzel Washington in the film “Remember the Titans,” but became a household name on “Heroes” as a cheerleader with superpowers and the reason behind the phrase “Save the cheerleader, save the world.”

“I think ‘Heroes’ is really hot because it’s just a really great combination of everything that people love — they love reality, they love sci-fi and things like X-Men where they get to dream of something bigger,” Panettiere told the AP in 2008. “And at the core of it are these human stories that people can relate to, very rugged. And it’s just grabbed everyone in every age group.”

She won several Teen Choice awards. She was also a Grammy Awards nominee for a spoken word album for “A Bug’s Life.”

Her final film, “Sleepwalker,” premiered in January, according to People.

Panettiere starred opposite Connie Britton on “Nashville,” doing her own singing with songs that hit the country charts, and embarking on a nationwide tour. She was nominated for two Golden Globes for her role.

She also had her challenges over the years, speaking about her struggles with alcohol and depression after the birth of her daughter in 2014, the AP reported. She went into rehab in 2015 while filming “Nashville.”

“I was the one who put myself in the first treatment center. I was drowning,” she shared.

She shared in her memoir published earlier this year that she had postpartum depression.

Panettiere gave up custody of her daughter to her ex, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, in 2018.

“I think there’s been this very common misconception that I just gave up my child,” she said. “That could not be farther from the truth.” She said that he suggested that their child live with him full time as the actress dealt with her addiction and depression.

“It was the hardest thing I could do,” she said in a 2022 episode of “Red Table Talk,” according to CNN. “But the best thing for my daughter was to make sure she was okay, take care of myself and make sure I could be a good mom to her. And sometimes that means letting go.”

People said she was in regular contact with her daughter before her death.

She also lost her brother Jansen Panettiere in 2023 when he was 28.

“There was nothing in my life that feels like losing my other half,” she said earlier this year, CNN reported. “We were so close and being the older sibling – who it’s your job to protect them and keep them safe – and not being able to, heartbreaking doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

Panettiere leaves behind her parents and her daughter, according to People.

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