Hayden Panettiere, the actress known for playing Claire Bennet on Heroes and Juliette Barnes on Nashville, died on Sunday, August 16, 2026, her representative confirmed to ABC News. She was 36 and days away from turning 37 on August 21.
The actress was last seen publicly in May at LaGuardia Airport with a friend, ahead of her memoir’s release as she kept a low profile through much of the book’s rollout.
Although a cause of death has not been released yet, her father, Skip Panettiere, shared a statement asking for privacy as the family processed the loss.
Skip Panettiere’s statement
“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,” her father stated.
TMZ reported, citing sources with direct knowledge, that Hayden and her on-again, off-again partner Brian Hickerson had flown from Los Angeles to the south on Saturday and that his family was aware of the situation.
No additional information about what happened during the trip was made public.
Hayden worked as an actress for more than three decades
Hayden began acting as a child. Her first gig came at 8 months old, after which more projects followed. She landed her breakout role as cheerleader Claire Bennet on NBC’s Heroes, a part that made her a household name.
She went on to star as country singer Juliette Barnes on Nashville, earning her two Golden Globe nominations. Her film credits included Remember the Titans as well as Scream 4 and Scream VI, in which she reprised her role as Kirby Reed.
Hayden also released her own memoir
In May 2026, she released a memoir titled This Is Me: A Reckoning, which offered an intimate account of her life away from the cameras. The book addressed her experiences with postpartum depression, addiction and recovery, trauma, domestic abuse and loss.
She had grown increasingly open in recent years about her mental health and recovery journey, using public appearances and interviews to discuss struggles she had once kept private.
The actress had frequently opened up on her postpartum depression
Her last interview was with Dear Momé, a publication focused on parenting where Hayden opened up on her struggles with motherhood, describing her initial relationship with her daughter and how it made her feel “empty.” She went on to detail her alcohol addiction as she struggled with postpartum depression and how it got increasingly worse as the days went by
She ended the interview on a more hopeful note, describing herself as a “woman who has been through more trauma than I ever thought I’d face,” but that she remains resilient.
“I’m a work in progress — we all are. I take each day as it comes. I’m doing the work and I’m doing my best.”
She is survived by her young daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, as well as her parents, Lesley Vogel and Skip.