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🇳🇵 Nepal /Culture & Society

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

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

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News Named sources Under investigation

- American actress Hayden Panettiere, known for

American actress Hayden Panettiere, celebrated for her roles in "Nashville" and "Heroes," has died at the age of 36, her family announced Sunday through her publicist. The cause of death was not immediately stated, but the passing of the Grammy nominee and two-time Golden Globe nominee is under investigation, publicist Kasey Kitchen told NBC News.

Her father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere, remembered her as "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." Panettiere began her career as a child actor, notably voicing Dot in Pixar's 1998 animated film "A Bug's Life," which earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.

She rose to stardom playing Claire Bennet in the NBC series "Heroes" starting in 2006 and later gained recognition for her role as Juliette Barnes in the musical drama "Nashville," for which she received two Golden Globe nominations. Her other credits include the 2000 film "Remember the Titans" and the "Scream" franchise.

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.

— Alan “Skip” PanettiereHer father's statement remembering her.

Panettiere's memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," released in May, detailed her struggles with trauma from the birth of her daughter, postpartum depression, and alcohol addiction. Her most recent acting credit was the January 2026 release of the psychological thriller "Sleepwalker." She is survived by her daughter, Kaya, and her brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, who died in 2023.

The screen actors' union SAG-AFTRA, a member since 1994, expressed condolences, stating, "Our hearts are with her daughter, family, friends and fans." Panettiere's daughter lives with her former fiancé, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, in Ukraine.

We join in mourning the sudden passing of Hayden Panettiere. Our hearts are with her daughter, family, friends and fans.

— SAG-AFTRAThe screen actors' union statement on her death.
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Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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