Months Before Her Sudden Death, Hayden Panettiere Shared Some Poignant Comments About Her Personal Struggles And How She’d Want To Be Remembered

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On Sunday, Aug. 16, we learned that Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36.

Hayden's father, Alan "Skip" Panettiere, shared the tragic news in a statement, saying: "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."

Initially, details surrounding Hayden's death were not made public. However, officials have since shared that, at around 1:50 p.m. local time on Aug. 16, police in Greenville, South Carolina, and EMS personnel responded 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," a spokesperson for the Greenville Police Department said in a statement provided to People. The case is under investigation; however, a preliminary report has "not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances."

Hayden shot to fame as a child actor, appearing in daytime soap operas One Life to Live and Guiding Light. And though she was best known for her roles in projects like Heroes and Nashville, Hayden had been back in the spotlight this year, promoting her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.

In the book, which came out in May 2026, Hayden opened up about her past personal struggles with alcoholism, depression, and abusive relationships. While promoting it, she also talked a lot about her experience with postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter, Kaya, 11, whom she shares with ex Wladimir Klitschko.

In one of her final interviews, for the July cover of Momé, Hayden shared advice for others navigating tough times, and expressed pride that she'd been able to put Kaya first "no matter how I’ve felt or what I’ve experienced." Hayden also made the incredibly tough decision to allow Kaya to live primarily with her father, and she expressed hope that "one day she’ll understand my story, and why I wasn’t able to be with her all the time."

"I'm a warrior. I'm a woman who has been through more trauma than I ever thought I'd face, but I'm resilient," she said, calling herself a "work in progress." "I take each day as it comes. I’m doing the work, and I’m doing my best."

A few weeks prior to this, on May 26, Hayden hosted a book signing and panel to celebrate her memoir at the Harmony Gold Theater in Los Angeles. During the discussion, per People, she shared a poignant comment about how she’d like to be remembered.

"So many people have come up to me within the industry and outside of the industry and shared their stories with me and said, 'Because you’ve talked about your mental health, it gave me the courage to be honest about mine and get myself help, and you saved my life,'" she recalled. "I was like, This is worth it. I can hopefully leave the world a better place than I found it."

We're sending all the love to Hayden's loved ones, especially her daughter. We'll keep you posted with any further updates.

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