Actress Hayden Panettiere dies at 36, family and SAG-AFTRA confirm

Actor Hayden Panettiere has died at 36, according to an official statement from SAG-AFTRA and a family statement quoted by ABC News. The actors union said in a post on Bluesky early Monday that it was mourning her “sudden passing,” while ABC and The Associated Press reported that her father, Skip Panettiere, had confirmed her death.

No cause of death had been publicly released at the time of those reports, and further details were not immediately available, according to ABC and AP.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” Skip Panettiere said in the statement quoted by ABC News. “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.”

Panettiere was one of the more visible child actors of her generation and later became a television star as an adult. She was best known to many viewers for playing Claire Bennet, the indestructible cheerleader at the center of NBC’s superhero drama “Heroes,” and Juliette Barnes, the ambitious country singer she portrayed on ABC/CMT’s “Nashville.”

Her career began early. SAG-AFTRA said she had been a union member since 1994, underscoring how long she had worked in television and film. Over the years, she built a screen résumé that stretched from childhood roles into mainstream studio films and network dramas, a transition many young performers struggle to make.

Along with “Heroes” and “Nashville,” Panettiere was widely recognized for film roles in “Remember the Titans” in 2000, “Ice Princess” in 2005, “Bring It On: All or Nothing” in 2006 and “Scream 4” in 2011. She later returned to the “Scream” franchise in work released through 2023, extending one of her best-known big-screen roles to a new generation of horror fans.

In its statement, SAG-AFTRA said: “We mourn the sudden passing of Hayden Panettiere. A child actor, Hayden's long career in TV & film included memorable roles in ‘Heroes,’ ‘Nashville’ & more. Our hearts are with her daughter, family, friends & fans.” The union’s message also noted that she had been a member since 1994.

Earlier this year, in May 2026, Panettiere published the memoir “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” in which she wrote publicly about alcoholism, postpartum depression and other personal struggles. The book marked a recent milestone in a career and public life that had unfolded largely in view of audiences since childhood. She is survived by her daughter, Kaya.