Actress Hayden Panettiere has died aged 36

Her father has confirmed her passing

In a statement reported by American media, her father, Skip Panettiere said: “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.”

In a statement issued through her representative to CNN, her father has asked for privacy “as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss”.

The details surrounding the passing of the actress were not immediately available, the BBC reported.

Panettiere's rise to fame through TV and film

The star of US TV shows Heroes and Nashville also had other memorable roles, including in films Remember the Titans and Raising Helen.

She started her career as a child actor after being cast on the popular US soap opera One Life to Live, aged just four.

It was in the sci-fi series Heroes, which ran from 2006 to 2010, when Panettiere later rose to fame.

Her career spanned three decades with several roles in other hit series and films, which include the Scream horror franchise and the romantic comedy film, I Love You, Beth Cooper.

Earlier in 2026, Panettiere released a memoir titled This Is Me: A Reckoning.

In it, she recounted the struggles of growing up as a child actor and her experiences with addiction, abuse and later recovery.

Panettiere was a mother to daughter Kaya, whom she shares with former fiancé, Ukrainian former boxer Wladimir Klitschko.