Hayden Panettiere, Beloved Star Of Heroes, Scream And Nashville, Dead At 36

Hayden Panettiere, beloved star of franchises like "Heroes," and "Scream," has sadly passed away at the age of 36, according to ABC News. No cause of death has been confirmed at this time. The actress most recently appeared in the 2026 psychological thriller film "Sleepwalker."

"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden," her father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement, per 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."

In May of 2026, Panettiere had published a candid memoir titled "This Is Me: A Reckoning," opening up about growing up as a child star, battling addiction, postpartum depression, and more. She played leading roles in acclaimed TV shows like "Heroes" and "Nashville," and starred in "Scream 4" and "Scream VI." She also had a role in one of the best sports movies of all time, "Remember the Titans," a movie that Panettiere once told ET Online was "my favorite movie to film."

Panettiere's death at such a tragically young age is a blow to the millions of fans that came of age alongside her throughout her acting career, and to the industry she was a part of for so many years. Panettiere was the eldest child of former soap opera actress Lesley R. Vogel, and joined the industry at just 11 months old, appearing in TV commercials. She then started acting in soap operas starting at 5 years old. Her breakout role came in 2006 with NBC's "Heroes," where Panettiere played a main role as Claire, a cheerleader with super-healing powers.

Though Hayden Panettiere is perhaps best remembered for her role in "Heroes" and for "Scream IV," she also had roles across a variety of titles in different genres and mediums. Having acted since she was a child, Panettiere worked on Disney and Pixar projects like "A Bug's Life" and the massively underrated "Dinosaurs." Indeed, Panettiere had a rather lengthy and successful voice acting career, appearing in "Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King," "Fillmore!", episodes of "Robot Chicken" and "American Dad!", and also in video games. 

Panettiere had a motion-capture performance role in the successful horror game "Until Dawn," and was also a part of the beloved "Kingdom Hearts" franchise in its very beginning; she played Kairi, the best friend of protagonists Sora and Riku and one of the seven Princesses of Heart. Panettiere reprised the role of Kairi in two more games, and also played Xion in "Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance."

Panettiere returned to the spotlight in 2023's "Scream VI," reprising her role as Kirby Reed from "Scream 4." Kirby returns as a FBI special agent who helps the Core Four against the resurfacing Ghostface killer. 

Our hearts go out to Hayden Panettiere's loved ones as they grieve this tragic loss.