Hayden Panettiere 'final act of kindness' for PETA that was filmed just two weeks before her death

Hayden Panettiere filmed a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) ad campaign calling for an end to marine parks just two weeks before her tragic death.

Panettiere, who was just 36, was found unresponsive at a property in South Carolina on Sunday (16 August).

In a statement, the Heroes’ star was remembered for being an ‘incredible light’ and ‘force of nature’.

On Tuesday (18 August), PETA unveiled one of the final projects Panettiere worked on, hailing it a ‘last act of kindness’.

The advert featured Panettiere lying in a bathtub with her hair trailing along the side and the questions: “Could you live in a bathtub?” across the top.

The ad calls on people to ‘say no to marine parks’ and ‘end cruel captivity’.

In a video shared alongside the shot, Panettiere asked: “Can you imagine their frustration, their trauma, their depression? All that is important and crucial for their well-being is ripped away. … We can end this. You and me.

“In their ocean homes they can be with their families, dive deep to escape the hot sun and enjoy the rain on their backs… all of that is taken from them when they are confined to small tanks.”

Sharing the advert on Instagram, PETA wrote: “In one of the last acts of her short, impactful life, Hayden Panettiere asked her audience and the world to think of dolphins and orcas and boycott marine parks.

“In tribute to her life and legacy of compassion, we’re sharing the campaign, which marks a poignant final chapter in Panettiere’s fierce advocacy for marine mammals. Her activism made headlines worldwide in 2007, when, at just 18, she paddled into the blood-stained waters of Taiji, Japan, to confront dolphin hunters during the annual slaughter—a moment captured in the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove.

“Across the U.S., hundreds of dolphins are confined to pools or shallow lagoons, forced to perform tricks and entertain tourists. Many were abducted from their ocean homes and families decades ago, while others were born in captivity and have never known the freedom of the open sea.”

The post concluded by adding: “Honor Hayden’s memory by refusing to buy a ticket to any place that condemns these remarkable animals to tiny concrete tanks.”

The Cove director hails Hayden as a 'real hero'

Panettiere was still in her teens when she appeared in the hit documentary The Cove.

In her segment, which was filmed in 2007, she could be seen joining anti-whaling activities as they rode into a cove on surfboards and got involved in a standoff with fishermen.

At the time of filming, there were reports that a warrant had been issued for her arrest but Panettiere told reporters she had no regrets and would ‘do it again’.

Following the news of her tragic passing, The Cove director Louie Psihoyos paid a sweet tribute to the star on Instagram.

“Most people love and know Hayden from the show Heroes but I got to know Hayden as a real hero for risking her own life to save the lives of tens of thousands of small cetaceans.

“In 2007 Hayden accomplished something activists had been trying to do for decades, and it’s largely because of her bravery that dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan was put on the map.”

Psihoyos went on to praise Panettiere for taking a ‘real risk’ with both her safety and her career to the message out there.

He added: “That's the Hayden I got to know. An incredibly brave individual that changed the course of history.”