Hayden Panettiere, Star of Heroes and Scream, Dies at 36
Hayden Panettiere, the actress known for Heroes, Nashville and the Scream franchise, has died aged 36. Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed her death in a statement on Sunday night, saying: "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden" (ABC News). Her representatives separately confirmed she died in South Carolina (Deadline).
A friend found Panettiere unresponsive inside a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, and called 911 at 1:51 pm on Sunday, 16 August 2026, reporting that she was in cardiac arrest (TMZ). Greenville police and paramedics responded and attempted to resuscitate her using advanced cardiac life support — a step beyond CPR that adds medicines, breathing tubes and heart-rhythm monitoring (TMZ). The efforts were not successful.
No cause of death has been announced. A publicist for Panettiere did not immediately respond to an email from the Associated Press (WLWT). An investigation into the circumstances of her death is ongoing (Deadline).
Panettiere had flown from Los Angeles to the South with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson on Saturday, 15 August, the day before her death, according to TMZ. The same outlet reported that it was unclear whether Hickerson placed the 911 call, and that a source close to Panettiere said she had been complaining of back pain over the past year. Those details have not been independently confirmed by law enforcement or Panettiere's family.
The statement released by her representatives described her as "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" (TMZ).
Panettiere became a household name as a child actress before landing her breakout role as cheerleader Claire Bennet on NBC's Heroes, which ran from 2006 to 2010. She later starred as country singer Juliette Barnes on the musical drama Nashville, which aired for six seasons from 2012 to 2018. In the Scream franchise, she played Kirby Reed — a fan-favourite character who survived Scream 4 (2011) and returned for Scream VI (2023) (Deadline).
Tributes from across the entertainment industry arrived quickly. Scream actor David Arquette posted: "I love you Hayden." Melissa Barrera, her co-star in Scream VI, wrote: "Rest in peace sweet Hayden." Selma Blair, who had a small uncredited role in Scream 2, also paid tribute, as did One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz, who left a lengthy message for Panettiere (Deadline).
Viola Davis, who worked with Panettiere on the 2006 film Architect and the 2016 film Custody, paid tribute to her, and podcaster Jay Shetty, who had interviewed Panettiere earlier in the year, also honoured her (Deadline).
Panettiere is survived by her daughter Kaya, born in 2014, whose father is former boxing world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. Panettiere and Klitschko later separated. She had spoken openly about experiencing postpartum depression after Kaya's birth (Deadline).
For a generation of viewers, Panettiere was a constant presence — a child actor who grew up on screen, a cheerleader with superpowers, a country star fighting her demons, and a final girl who came back. She was 36.
