Actress Hayden Panettiere, star of 'Heroes' and 'Nashville,' dies at 36

Hayden Panettiere, the actress who gained widespread recognition for her roles in the television series "Heroes" and "Nashville," has died at the age of 36. Her passing was confirmed following an incident on Sunday.

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It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. 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.

Authorities responded to an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, where Panettiere was found unresponsive. Despite lifesaving measures performed at the scene, she was pronounced dead shortly before 2 p.m. Police have stated that there were no indications of foul play or suspicious circumstances surrounding her death.

The Greenville County Coroner's Office is expected to conduct an autopsy to determine the official cause of death. Panettiere, who would have celebrated her 37th birthday on Friday, had been open about her past struggles with alcohol addiction and depression.

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Save the cheerleader, save the world.

Her father, Skip Panettiere, released a statement remembering his daughter as "an incredible light and a force of nature" who brought "immeasurable love and joy" to those who knew her and to her millions of fans. Panettiere began her career as a child actor and rose to fame in 2006 for her role as Claire Bennet in "Heroes." She later earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of Juliette Barnes on "Nashville," even contributing her own singing to the show's soundtrack.

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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. 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.