Hayden Panettiere made emotional comments about her future months before heartbreaking death
Scream and Heroes star Hayden Panettiere opened up about having 'a lot more life to live' just months before her tragic death aged 36.
The death of the US actress, famed for appearances in the Scream movies as well as Nashville, was confirmed by her representatives on Monday (17 August).
A representative said her family would remember her as an 'incredible light' who brought 'immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her'.
Her father Skip also asked that her family be given privacy as they 'take time to process this unimaginable loss'.
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No cause of death has been announced, however TMZ reported that police had been called to an incident involving the actress on Sunday (16 August) and that there is an open investigation.
The 36-year-old began acting as a child, appearing in soap operas before gaining wider recognition for her role in the 2000 sports drama Remember the Titans alongside Denzel Washington, and as the voice of Dot in Pixar’s 1998 film A Bug’s Life.
Panettiere later found fame playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes before going on to star as up-and-coming country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on the hit TV series Nashville.
Her performances in Nashville earned her two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress, while her singing on the show produced 11 entries on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
Her film credits go on to include 2006’s Bring It On: All Or Nothing, comedy-drama film Raising Helen, and appearances in Scream 4 and Scream VI as Kirby Reed.
"I feel I have shaken off all of this darkness"
Speaking about her new book, titled This Is Me: A Reckoning, Hayden was in tears as she made comments about her future.
Appearing on Jay Shetty's On Purpose podcast, she opened up about suffering with addiction, postpartum depression, and the difficult decision to give up custody of her only daughter Kaya, who she shares with her former partner and professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko, in 2018.
Panettiere also experienced the sudden loss of her younger brother Jansen three years ago. He passed away due to an undiagnosed heart condition, leaving his sister devastated.
Following her rapid rise to fame, the pressure of the industry began to weigh on Panettiere, with the actress previously revealing that she had struggled with addiction throughout her 20s.
She said: "It was one of the hardest parts of this too, figuring out what to call it. I felt like I couldn't come up with a name until I was already until I was done with the process of the book. Sometimes people do it in the middle of the experience.
"Sometimes people need a title before they start the process of writing and I felt like I had to wait till till the end.
"I finally feel like I have shaken off all of this this darkness and this negativity. And that means I've closed one door and another door is opened and and and I can feel it opened and and I can feel all the possibilities all the exciting possibilities.
"I've I feel like I have a lot more life to live."
Discussing the custody of her child, she explained: “That was incredibly difficult. The fact that my child wasn’t going to be with me all day every day was just ... you can’t put words to it.
Co-stars pay tribute
Scream co-star Melissa Barrera paid tribute to the actress in an Instagram story, writing, “Rest in peace sweet Hayden,” alongside a broken heart emoji.
Commenting under Panettiere’s latest social media post after news of her death broke, actress Selma Blair said: “I love you. Don’t be gone. Don’t be gone. Please. Please.”
Meanwhile, singer JoJo wrote on her Instagram stories: “This is such devastating news. I am so sorry to hear of her passing. Oh My God.”
Actors’ union SAG-AFTRA, of which the actress had been a member since 1994, said in a post on X: “We mourn the sudden passing of Hayden Panettiere. A child actor, Hayden’s long career in TV & film included memorable roles in ‘Heroes,’ ‘Nashville’ & more. Our hearts are with her daughter, family, friends & fans.”
Topics: Entertainment, Celebrity, Film, US News
James Holt