Hayden Panettiere dies at 36, tributes pour in
Actress Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36, with tributes from family and co-stars.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Hayden Panettiere, the American actress best known for her roles in the TV series Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36. The cause of death has not been confirmed, but police in South Carolina said they were investigating after she was found unresponsive in an apartment. They said they suspected no foul play.
Panettiere began her career as a child, appearing in commercials and films such as Remember the Titans, before finding fame in the sci-fi drama Heroes, where she played Claire Bennet, a cheerleader with the power to heal. She later starred in the country music drama Nashville, earning two Golden Globe nominations and releasing songs from the show that charted on the US country charts.
In recent years, she spoke openly about her struggles with addiction, postpartum depression and the pressures of growing up in the spotlight. She released a memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she reflected on these issues and the death of her brother in 2023. She also spoke about giving up custody of her daughter Kaya, whom she had with former boxing champion Vladimir Klitschko, to deal with her addiction.
Tributes have come from fellow actors, including Viola Davis, who said: 'I wish the world had more time with you because I had a burning curiosity about who you were becoming.' Selma Blair wrote: 'I love you, don't be gone, please.' Kelly Osbourne said they understood each other in a way few truly can.
Her father, Skip Panettiere, 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 on screen.' The family asked for privacy as they processed what they called an 'unimaginable loss.'
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayden Panettiere died at age 36. | · | |||
| Panettiere had spoken publicly about her struggles with addiction and mental health. | · | |||
| She wrote a memoir. | · | |||
| Hayden Panettiere's father Skip issued a statement describing her as an incredible light and a force of nature. | · | · | ||
| Her family asked for privacy. | · | · | ||
| She leaves behind a daughter named Kaya with Vladimir Klitschko. | · | · | ||
| The cause of Hayden Panettiere's death has not been revealed. | · | · | ||
| Tributes were paid by Viola Davis and Selma Blair. | · | · | ||
| Hayden Panettiere's representatives described her in glowing terms. | · | · | · | |
| Police reported no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News focused on the shock of her death, emphasising her relatability and the sense that she had recently turned her life around with a memoir and press tour. It also included tributes from Viola Davis and Selma Blair, and noted the family's statement.
- “She really had a common touch about her.”
- “In a statement reported by ABC News, her representatives said she was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her.”
- “I wish the world had more time with you because I had a burning curiosity about who you were becoming.”
5 News initially gave a brief announcement, then in its later bulletin provided a fuller obituary, highlighting her role in Nashville, her daughter, and the police statement that there were no suspicious circumstances. It also noted her memoir and the loss of her brother.
- “The US actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in the TV shows Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36.”
- “Police say there are no suspicious circumstances.”
- “In her memoir called This Is Me, A Reckoning, she wrote about the difficulty of growing up a child actor and losing her brother to a heart condition when he was 28.”
BBC One West led with a retrospective report on her life and career, using clips from Heroes and Nashville, and included tributes from Viola Davis and Selma Blair. It also carried the family statement and noted that the cause of death had not been confirmed.
- “Tributes have been flooding in for the American actor Hayden Panettiere, who's died at the age of 36.”
- “I wish the world had more time for you”
- “She was an incredible light and a force of nature”
ITV1 provided the most detailed report, including the circumstances of her death (found unresponsive in South Carolina), the police investigation, and a range of celebrity tributes including Kelly Osbourne. It also focused on her struggles with addiction and postpartum depression, and her daughter.
- “The 36-year-old was found unresponsive last night at an apartment in South Carolina.”
- “Police say they're investigating the cause of her death, but they suspect no foul play.”
- “I went through treatment and therapy and I came out the other side sober but still with this horrible anxiety and depression”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.