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Heroes and Nashville star Hayden Panettiere dies aged 36

Monday, 17 August 2026 05:15

By Nex Asanté @nexasante

Toglenn · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Actress Hayden Panettiere, who came out as bisexual earlier this year, has died at 36, her family confirmed on Sunday.

Actress Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36, her family confirmed on Sunday night.

"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, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement. Further details surrounding Panettiere's death were not immediately available.

TMZ reported that police responded to an incident involving Panettiere on Sunday and there is currently an open investigation. The cause and manner of death were unclear.

Panettiere was known for her roles as Claire Bennet on the hit series Heroes and as Juliette Barnes on the musical drama Nashville. She also had roles in Scream 4, Remember the Titans, and other projects across three decades.

In May, Panettiere came out as bisexual in her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning. "That's something about me I was never able to share with the world, because it was just never the right time," she told Us Weekly of her sexuality. "It was either I was too young, and I was being forced to be perfect at all times".

The memoir delved into a rare and intimate glimpse into her life behind closed doors, opening up about postpartum depression, addiction and recovery, trauma, domestic abuse, and loss. She said she hoped sharing her story "helps people to overcome the obstacles they're going through".

Her brother, Jansen Panettiere, died suddenly in February 2023 from an enlarged heart coupled with aortic valve complications. He was 28. Hayden Panettiere spoke openly about her grief, saying in an interview with People two years after his death: "I will always be heartbroken about it. I will never be able to get over it. No matter how many years go by, I will never get over his loss".