Actress Hayden Panettiere is dead; she’s known for ‘Heroes’, ‘Nashville’, ‘Scream 4’ and more

Hayden Panettiere has died. She was 36.

The actress’ representative confirms the news, telling PEOPLE in a statement shared on behalf of her father, Alan Panettiere, “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,” he added.

Panettiere died on Sunday, Aug. 16. Further details surrounding her death are not immediately available.

ABC News was first to report.

Panettiere’s professional acting career began in 1994, when she was cast in the ABC soap opera One Life to Live.

She continued her soap opera work in 1996, starring in CBS’ Guiding Light, and later returned to the show from 1997 to 2000.

The star made her film debut at the age of 9, as the narrator and the voice of Princess Dot in Pixar’s A Bug’s Life (1996), before she landed one of her most notable roles: the football-loving young daughter of assistant coach Bill Yoast, played by Will Patton, in the biographical film Remember the Titans (2000).

Panettiere’s acting career continued with various television projects, including Ally McBeal and Malcolm in the Middle, as well as films such as Tiger Cruise (2004) and Ice Princess (2005).

In 2006, Panettiere landed one of the lead roles in NBC’s Heroes, playing a high school cheerleader with self-healing powers. The role shot the actress to international fame.

Following the finale of Heroes in 2010, Panettiere starred in Scream 4 (2011), and she later reprised her fan-favorite role in 2023’s Scream 6.

From 2012 to 2018, Panettiere starred opposite Connie Britton across all six seasons of the ABC musical drama series Nashville.

Panettiere’s return to acting came years later through Scream 6, and subsequent projects included 2024’s Amber Alert and 2025’s A Breed Apart. Her final film role, Sleepwalker, hit theaters in January.

Panettiere also released music over the course of her career in the entertainment industry.

In her personal life, Panettiere became a mother in December 2014, when she and her then-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, welcomed a daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko.

The former couple raised Kaya, now 11, together for the first four years, but in 2018, Panettiere gave full custody to Klitschko.

She addressed the decision during a May episode of Jay Shetty’s podcast On Purpose, denying the “heartbreaking” claims that she “gave away” Kaya. (At the time of the custody change, Panettiere was seeking treatment for alcoholism, substance abuse and postpartum depression.)

Though Kaya still resides in Europe with Klitschko, Panettiere stayed in regular contact with her child before her death.

In a 2022 interview with PEOPLE, Panettiere opened up for the first time about a secret addiction to opioids and alcohol.

“I was on top of the world, and I ruined it,” she said at the time, highlighting that she spent years battling her addiction, as well as postpartum depression. “I’d think I hit rock bottom, but then there’s that trap door that opens.”

“I put a lot of work into myself, and I had to be willing to be incredibly honest,” continued Panettiere. “There were a lot of ups and downs, but I don’t regret even the ugliest things that have happened to me.”

In her final interview before her death, Panettiere told parenting publication Dear Momé, “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.”

Panettiere was born on Aug. 21, 1989. She was preceded in death by her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, who died at age 28 from aortic valve complications from enlarged heart syndrome in 2023.

Speaking with PEOPLE for a cover story in September 2024, Panettiere reflected on the tragedy, saying of her brother, “He was my only sibling, and it was my job to protect him. When I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul.”

Earlier this year, Panettiere released a memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.

Throughout the book, the mom of one recounts a series of shocking and emotional experiences, from alleged encounters with powerful Hollywood figures to the painful decision to allow her daughter Kaya to primarily live with ex Klitschko.

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She also reflects on navigating fame at a young age, her romantic relationships in the public eye and the death of her younger brother.

Other major moments from the recently released book include Panettiere revealing publicly for the first time that she is bisexual and detailing the moment a doctor warned the actress that her continued alcoholism could kill her within five years.

Panettiere’s cause of death has not yet been made public.

She is survived by her parents and her daughter.