Heroes and Nashville star Hayden Panettiere dies aged 36

Actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36. In a statement released to US outlet NBC News, Panettiere’s father described her as an “incredible light and 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 onscreen.” The star’s father also requested privacy while her family processed the “unimaginable loss”. Earlier this year, Panettiere had released a memoir, titled This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she opened up about her experiences with postpartum depression and addiction. Her struggles led her to give up custody of her child, Kaya, in 2018. The 36-year-old began her career as a child, playing roles in US soaps One Life To Live and Guiding Light. She made her feature film debut aged nine as narrator and voice of Princess Dot in Disney-Pixar’s A Bug’s Life. Panettiere, though, was best known for her roles as Claire Bennet in the hit series Heroes and Juliette Barnes on the musical drama Nashville. No further information was made available about her death. EXPLORE MORE ON THE TOPICS IN THIS STORY