Rajini Vaidyanathan
BBC News

I interviewed Hayden Panettiere back in 2008, for BBC News in the US. She was just 19 at the time, and we were weeks away from a presidential election, which Barack Obama went on to win.

Hayden was fresh from her success in Heroes and wanted to use her platform to encourage young people to vote.

She was speaking to students on a university campus when we met.

"Celebrities are people who draw many people's attentions - especially young people and they set examples that young people follow," she told me.

"Just because we're celebrities doesn't mean that we're stupid, it doesn't mean that we don't know what we're talking about, it doesn't mean we can't educate ourselves just as well as other people about it."

She was also passionate about protecting whales and dolphins, a cause which often brought her to Washington DC.

I remember her as bubbly, friendly and charming. No Hollywood pretence. I also remember meeting her family who accompanied her to the interview.

Abu Bakar Yasin
BBC Newsbeat

Image source, Reuters

BBC Newsbeat has been hearing from Hayden Panettiere fan Scott Mousley-Young.

When the 24-year-old television and film content creator first heard the news of the US actress’ death this morning, he created a TikTok video about how much she was a part of his childhood.

"I'm actually devastated about this right now," said Mousley-Young in the clip. "There are so many film and TV shows that [Hayden Panettiere] was a part of."

Mousley-Young tells BBC Newsbeat it is "hard to come by a true well-rounded actress", saying "that’s really what we got with her".

"I think being such a big celebrity and being able to show her vulnerable side, both of those things are such key and important things that we will all hold on to," he adds.

Manish Pandey
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Actress Hayden Panettiere has died aged 36. Here is a quick recap of what we've heard through the day so far:

• There aren’t "any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances" in Panettiere’s death, Greenville Police Department in South Carolina said in a statement released earlier. The force has confirmed that officers responded on Sunday to a report of an "unresponsive female"
• So far, no cause of death has been confirmed. Panettiere’s family has called for privacy "to process this unimaginable loss"
• In a statement confirming her death, her father Skip described his daughter as "an incredible light and a force of nature" - you can read his full statement here
• Tributes have been coming in, with Brandon Auman, director of the last film Panettiere appeared in, saying the actress "taught me so much on set"
• Bryan Fuller, writer of one of her Heroes storylines, described her as "wise beyond her years"
• And Melissa Barrera, who played Sam Carpenter in Scream VI posted on Instagram: "Rest in peace sweet Hayden"

We'll continue to bring you the latest updates as we get them.

Hayden Panettiere "was more than an actress, she was a muse," Bryan Fuller, a writer and producer who worked on Heroes, says.

Fuller wrote the season one storyline for Claire Bennett, the superhero cheerleader played by Panettiere.

"Wise beyond her years and already saddled with so much of a life, she left an indelible mark on me as a writer and a storyteller. Incredibly sad news," he writes on Instagram.

Image source, Disney via Getty Images

The director of the last film Hayden Panettiere appeared in has paid tribute to her, saying he is "completely devastated" at the news of her death.

Brandon Auman says the actress "taught me so much on set" and that "the personal stories you shared with me about growing up in the industry were often profound, surreal and amazing".

"Thank you for everything. I’ll miss you, Hayden," he adds in a post on Instagram.

Panettiere starred in the psychological thriller Sleepwalker - released in January 2026 - playing a mother haunted by the loss of her daughter in a car accident which left her abusive husband in a coma.

The death of actress Hayden Panettiere has not indicated "any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances", Greenville Police Department in South Carolina says.

The force says officers responded at about 13:51 local time (18:51 BST) on Sunday to a report of an "unresponsive female".

"Upon arrival, medical assistance was administered; however, the individual, later identified as Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene," the force says in a statement.

"The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office," it adds.

"The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances."

Image source, Getty Images

Colleagues and co-stars who worked with Hayden Panettiere on films in the Scream franchise have also been paying tribute.

Panettiere featured in two instalments in the series of horror films, playing survivor Kirby Reed in Scream 4 before reappearing as an FBI agent in Scream VI.

Scream writer Kevin Williamson posted a picture of Panettiere on his Instagram story with three red heart emojis.

Melissa Barrera, who played Sam Carpenter in Scream VI posted on Instagram: "Rest in peace sweet Hayden".

David Arquette, known for his role as Dewey Riley in the franchise, commented on a Variety post about Panettiere's death: "I love you Hayden."

Image source, Getty Images

Hayden Panettiere’s father Skip confirmed the news of his daughter’s death in a statement earlier.

Here is what he said in full:

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

Image source, File photo/PA

Since news of Hayden Panettiere’s death broke, co-stars, friends and critics have been paying tribute. Here’s a look at a few of those posted so far:

Long-time friend Bethany Joy Lenz says she is "crushed" by the news. "It’s too young and there’s still so much more life," she writes on Instagram.

Oscar winner Viola Davis praised Panettiere's "amazing talent", saying she wishes the "world had more time with you".

TV critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan paid tribute to Panettiere's "effortless appeal" saying she made acting "look easy".

Panettiere's death was announced by her father late on Sunday in a statement describing her as an "incredible light" and a "force of nature".

A cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

Adam Goldsmith
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

After musical drama Nashville drew to a close in 2018, Panettiere wasn't seen on screen for another five years.

Although she earned two Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the drama, the actress instead turned to the genres of horror and thriller in her last few films.

When she reappeared in 2023, Panettiere's appearance in horror Scream VI marked a return for her celebrated character Kirby Reed. After originally appearing in Scream 4 as one of killer Ghostface's targets, Reed arrived back in the franchise as an FBI agent, seeking to hunt the villain down.

The next year an appearance as a lead followed in Amber Alert, as she and her ride-share partner played by Tyler James Williams attempt to find a missing girl.

Action-horror A Breed Apart marked the actress's penultimate film - a survival movie about a group of influencers' attempts to survive on a remote island infested with wild dogs.

And at the beginning of this year, Panettiere took the lead role in her final film - the psychological thriller Sleepwalker.

Image source, Getty Images

A background actor for Scream 4 says her on set experience with Hayden Panettiere is ingrained in her memory.

In a post on X, Kathryn Henzler says: "I want to share something about Hayden Panettiere that will forever stay with me. My twin sister and I were background actors on the set of Scream 4, and were in the scene where Stab-A-Thon takes place in a barn."

She says it was hot, dark, and "buggy" throughout the whole night of shooting.

"Yet Hayden was nothing but nice to everyone around her, even chatting with background actors and complimenting their acting choices," the actor says.

Image source, Getty Images

Hayden Panettiere's career spanned three decades with a string of roles in hit TV shows and films, including the Scream horror film franchise and the TV drama series Nashville.

She was just four years old when she was cast on the popular US soap opera One Life to Live.

Here are some pictures from different stages of her life and career:

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Ian Youngs
Culture reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Hayden Panettiere lived most of her life in the spotlight - from success as a child star to lead roles in hit TV shows Heroes and Nashville - but also endured struggles that went along with the pressures of fame.

She appeared in her first commercial when she was 11 months old. Her mother Lesley Vogel was an actress and set her daughter on the same path.

By the age of four, Hayden was in US TV show One Life to Live, then at eight joined another soap opera, Guiding Light.

Her natural acting ability was evident, but the burgeoning childhood career came at a cost.

"From a very young age, I lost the chance to have a normal childhood, friends, relationships, and my privacy," Panettiere wrote in her revealing autobiography, This Is Me, which was published earlier this year.

• You can read our full obituary for Hayden Panettiere here

Image source, WireImage via Getty Images

Just as she was finding fame as a cheerleader in Heroes, Hayden Panettiere put herself front and centre of the campaign to "save the whale" and also protested against dolphin hunting.

Joining a group of activists, her exploits were featured in the Oscar-winning documentary, The Cove, which depicted the practice of an annual mass slaughtering of dolphins in the bay of small Japanese town Taiji.

On a trip to Taiji after the documentary's release, Panettiere called for an end to the dolphin hunt, but described in a blog on the Whaleman website, external how she was met with opposition from locals.

Image source, Peter Carette Archive via Getty Images

"The majority of people living there don’t know about the dolphin hunts and would never condone them if they did. And for the few who do eat dolphin meat, there is a serious human health concern. Dolphin meat is highly toxic and isn’t safe for people to eat," the actress explained at the time.

Panettiere also led a rally on Capitol Hill in Washington DC against commercial whaling when she was still a teenager, arguing: "Dolphins and whales are some of the most contaminated animals on the planet, and like canaries in a coal mine they are telling us that something is seriously wrong with our oceans.”

We've been looking through Hayden Panettiere's filmography as the morning's unfolded - here are some images from the films and TV shows she was most known for.

Image source, Alamy

Image source, NBC Universal via Getty Images

Image source, Alamy

Image source, Alamy

Image source, Getty Images

Bethany Joy Lenz, a long-time friend of Panettiere, says she is "crushed" by the news of her death.

Writing on Instagram, Lenz, who appeared in Grey’s Anatomy and Dexter, says she cannot "understand how this is real. Everything seemed to be turning around".

"She was coming BACK to life, wasn’t she? It’s too young and there’s still so much more life."

Lenz adds that she "always felt such joy seeing her when we were lucky enough to cross paths", adding that Panettiere "understood scenes and nuance and human struggle like no child I’d ever seen on camera",

"Hayden, you are surround by love. I’m sorry for every moment I didn’t reach out or check in. This can’t be real."

Yasmin Rufo
Culture reporter

Panettiere began dating actor Brian Hickerson in 2018.

Their relationship later became the subject of a domestic violence case, with Hickerson pleading no contest to two felony counts of injuring Panettiere and being sentenced to 45 days in jail.

In 2020, Panettiere publicly addressed the allegations, saying she wanted to speak out "with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve".

She added: "I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again."

Alan Jackson, her attorney, said in a statement at the time: "After suffering for years as the victim of psychological, emotional and severe physical abuse, Hayden Panettiere has begun the process of taking back her life."

She later described the relationship in her memoir, published earlier this year, explaining how the abuse contributed to her struggles with alcohol. She wrote that drinking allowed her to escape from painful realities, including "Brian's abuse, Kaya's absence, and a career I'd chosen to hide from".

She entered an eight-month treatment programme in 2020 and later said that getting sober allowed her to regain clarity and rebuild her life.

Image source, Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Hayden Panettiere has died aged 36. Here is a quick recap of what we know - and what we don't - about her death:

• Confirming reports, her father Skip Panettiere described his daughter 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 on-screen" - we've got his full statement below
• No cause of death has been confirmed and her family has called for privacy "to process this unimaginable loss"
• Panettiere started out as a child actor, before finding acclaim in roles in TV series including Heroes and Nashville
• She also starred on the big screen in the Scream horror films - and found an enduring fanbase for playing Britney Allen in Bring It On: All or Nothing as a teenager
• Our culture reporter writes there have been struggles behind the actress's success, and a recently released memoir detailed her struggles with addiction throughout her twenties and the death of her younger brother, Jansen, in 2023
• Tributes have been paid online since the news was confirmed. Fellow US actress Selma Blair said on Instagram. "I love you. Don't be gone. Please." Meanwhile, Oscar winner Viola Davis called Panettiere am "amazing talent" and said she was an "old, wise soul with such a deep heart"

We'll continue to bring you more reaction as it comes in.

Image source, Getty Images

In one of the final interviews before her death, Hayden Panettiere said she felt like she had "a lot more life to live".

Speaking to the Jay Shetty Podcast in May, Panettiere said: "I finally feel like I have shaken off all of this darkness and this negativity and that means I've closed one door and another door is open."

She added she could "feel all the.. exciting possibilities. I feel like I have a lot more life to live."

The comments came at the end of a wide-ranging two-hour interview in which Panettiere discussed suffering from post-partum depression, the experience of having a stalker and her relationship with Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko.

On the birth of her daughter in 2014, Panettiere said she knew something was "terribly wrong" immediately following her birth.

She said she turned to alcohol to cope with the "stress and anxiety" of post-partum depression, which over time only "made things worse".

TV critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan says Panettiere's death will come as a "shock" to fans.

He says that many will remember her as Claire in the hit series Heroes, adding she had an "effortless appeal" in the range of roles she played.

"She really had a common touch about her. I think she was incredibly relatable in all of the roles she was able to play; she made it look easy. When it comes to acting, that is a very hard thing to do”.

He says the outpour of reactions to her death show that she had "a real connection with many people”.

"It felt like everybody knew her from one thing or another,” he adds.