American actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in the television series Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36, US media reported on Monday, Aug. 17.
Her father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere, confirmed her death in a statement to ABC News, describing his daughter as “an incredible light and a force of nature” who brought love and joy to those around her and millions of fans.
The family asked for privacy as they process the loss. No cause of death has been disclosed. TMZ reported that there was an “open investigation” into the circumstances surrounding her death.
Panettiere began acting as a child and went on to build a career across television and film. She became internationally known for playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes, which premiered in 2006, and later starred as country singer Juliette Barnes in Nashville. The role earned her two Golden Globe nominations.
Her film credits included Remember the Titans, Ice Princess, Scream 4, and Scream VI. She also voiced Dot in Pixar’s A Bug’s Life and received a Grammy nomination for a spoken-word album for children.
Her relationship with Wladimir Klitschko
Panettiere was also widely known for her long relationship with Ukrainian former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.
The couple began dating in 2009 after meeting at a mutual friend’s book launch. They briefly split in 2011 but reunited in 2013, when they announced their engagement. Their daughter, Kaya, was born in December 2014.
Their relationship also brought Panettiere into the Ukrainian public spotlight. In December 2013, she and Klitschko visited Kyiv’s Euromaidan protests, where Klitschko’s brother, former Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, was one of the leading figures of the protest movement. Panettiere and Wladimir addressed demonstrators during their visit.
The couple separated again in 2018 after nearly a decade together. They never married but remained focused on raising their daughter. At the time, reports said Kaya was primarily living with her father and his family, while Panettiere continued spending time with her daughter.
Panettiere later spoke publicly about her struggles with postpartum depression, alcoholism and addiction following Kaya’s birth. In 2018, she transferred full custody of Kaya to Klitschko while she focused on her recovery. She later described the decision as one of the most painful periods of her life.
Despite their separation, Panettiere and Klitschko remained on good terms. In 2019, she said they were respectful of each other and maintained a friendship while co-parenting their daughter.
Klitschko was also reported to have remained concerned about Panettiere during difficult periods in her later life.
In her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, released in May 2026, Panettiere reflected on growing up in the entertainment industry, motherhood and her struggles with addiction and recovery.
She also wrote about the pressures she faced as a child star and her complicated relationship with her mother, Lesley Vogel, who managed her career when she was young.
Panettiere is survived by her daughter, Kaya, as well as her parents. Her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at the age of 28 from heart complications.