American actor Hayden Panettiere, of Heroes, Nashville and the Scream franchise fame, has died at the age of 36.
In a statement provided, Panettiere's father, Skip, said his daughter was "a force of nature".
"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden," he said.
"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."
No cause of death was announced, and a publicist for the actor did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press.
From child actor to Golden Globe nominee
Panettiere had a prolific career dating back to 1996, and her credits included the voice of Dot in A Bug's Life, Remember the Titans and Scream VI.
A former child actor, Panettiere gained widespread recognition voicing Dot in Pixar's 1998 animated hit. Her work on the film's read-along album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.
Her role as a cheerleader with superpowers in Heroes propelled her to fame, with the series revolving around the mantra, "Save the cheerleader, save the world".
"I think Heroes is really hot because it's just a really great combination of everything that people love. They love reality, they love sci-fi and things like X-Men, where they get to dream of something bigger," Panettiere told The Associated Press in 2008.
"And at the core of it are these human stories that people can relate to, very rugged. And it's just grabbed everyone in every age group."
In 2011, Panettiere portrayed Kirby Reed in Scream 4, receiving acclaim for her role, which she reprised in Scream 6 in 2023.
In Nashville, she starred as fictional country singer Juliette Barnes. The musical drama series ran from 2012 to 2018.
Panettiere sang all of her character's songs, and her performance earned her two Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress in 2013 and 2014.
She also lent her voice to Kairi in the Kingdom Hearts video game franchise, appearing in four of the entries.
Panttierre also modelled and voiced Samantha Giddings in the game Until Dawn, which was remade in 2024.
The actor's most recent appearance was in the psychological thriller Sleepwalker, released in the US in January 2026.
Final cover interview: 'You're stronger than you know'
Her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, released in May, portrayed the trauma around the difficult 2014 birth of her daughter, and her subsequent battles with postpartum depression and alcohol addiction then.
Panettiere is survived by her daughter Kaya, whom she shared with formerfiancée and Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko. Kaya lives with Klitschko in Ukraine, Panettiere said this year.
The star gave one of her final cover interviews to parenting outlet Momé in July, where she discussed traumatic childbirth, postpartum depression and a decision about her daughter's custody.
"It wasn't a decision I made lightly, nor was it a decision I even wanted to make," she said.
"I was going through a really challenging time in my life… I knew I needed to be able to put her first so that I could get the help I needed and be the mom she needed me to be."
The article ends with her message to other new mothers: "You're stronger than you know. And you're going to be just fine."
Her brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at 28 from complications related to an enlarged heart and an aortic-valve condition, according to a family statement made to US media later that year.
Tributes paid
Selma Blair was among those paying tribute. The actor posted on Panettiere's Instagram page, "Please be here".
"We join in mourning the sudden passing of Hayden Panettiere," the screen actors' union SAG-AFTRA, which counted her as a member since 1994, said in a statement.
"Our hearts are with her daughter, family, friends and fans."
Until Dawn writer Graham Reznick said, "It's hard to overstate how important Hayden Panettiere was to the success of Until Dawn".
"Millions of reasons why it turned out well (Supermassive! The whole cast!), but Hayden was the star, and being able to play a character not just with her voice but her *actual likeness*- made a huge difference," Mr Reznick said on social media.
Melissa Barrera, who co-starred with Panettiere in Scream VI, posted a broken heart emoji on Instagram, adding: "Rest in peace sweet Hayden".
