Actress Hayden Panettiere, star of TV shows Heroes and Nashville, dies aged 36
Questions remain around the circumstances of the TV star's death
American actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in the TV series Heroes and Nashville, has died aged 36.
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"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden," her father Skip said in a statement.
"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 asked for privacy "as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss".
Questions remain around the circumstances of her death.
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.
Panettiere had also starred in the Scream franchise of horror movies.
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Panettiere had released her memoirs This Is Me: A Reckoning earlier this year. She wrote intimately about her experiences with postpartum depression, addiction and recovery.
She then decided to give up custody of her only child Kaya in 2018, who she shares with her former partner Vladimir Klitschko, the Ukrainian professional boxer.
Panettiere first appeared in adverts at just 11 months old and went on to star in soap operas as a child actor - including One Life To Live and Guiding Light.
Her film credits 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.
In 2024, she described the grief after her younger brother died unexpectedly of an undiagnosed heart condition.
"When you lose somebody that you saw in all the important moments in your life, standing right next to you, it just rocks your world," she told the Today show.