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Hayden Panettiere passed away at the age of 36 years old
Tributes from former co-stars to late actress Hayden Panettiere have been pouring in on social media. Panettiere unexpectedly passed away at the age of 36.
Hayden Panettiere, an actress best known for her roles in projects such as Heroes, Nashville, and Scream, was found dead in an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday, August 16, at the age of 36 years old.
Cardiac arrest has been cited as the initial cause of death, and authorities say that no foul play is suspected.
Former co-stars such as Connie Britton, Viola Davis, and Alexa PenaVega share emotional tributes to Hayden Panettiere following her death at 36
Alyson Stoner, who — like Panettiere, voiced the character Kairi in the Kingdom Hearts video game series — shared an extremely emotional video on Instagram in which she broke down crying.
Alyson Stoner (who is Kairi’s current VA) reaction to the news of Hayden Panettiere passing broke me 😢pic.twitter.com/GfKrRXgUSi
— Maku (@TropicalMaku) August 17, 2026
Nashville co-star Connie Britton, who played Rayna James opposite Panettiere’s Juliette Barnes across six seasons, wrote: “This was Hayden. Bursting with brilliance, shining so bright. I have no words for this sad song. Just heartbreak. I love you girl. Sleep easy now.”
Legendary actress Viola Davis, who worked with Panettiere on the 2016 film Custody, also paid tribute to the late actress on Instagram:
“What an amazing talent you were… so gifted. An old, wise soul with such a deep heart. I wish the world had more time with you because I had a burning curiosity about who you were becoming. I saw this beautiful Phoenix rising from the ashes.”
Spy Kids actor Alexa PenaVega posted a tribute that touched on the deaths of Panettiere, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Daveigh Chase.
“Hayden, Michelle, Daveigh… These aren’t just names from my childhood. They’re girls I grew up alongside, sharing a world that was exciting and also incredibly hard. We were kids navigating something so big, and not everyone had the foundation or support they deserved,” she said.
Justin Chatwin, who co-starred with Panettiere in her final movie Sleepwalker, told People she “felt really lonely.”
Panettiere is survived by her daughter Kaya, who lives in Ukraine with her father, former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.