Hayden Panettiere, actress, singer, and author, has died aged 36. Her father, Skip Panettiere, announced her passing in a statement. It reads:

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

“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.

“We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”

Panettiere was best known for her roles in ABC’s TV series Nashville, and the films Bring It On and I Love You, Beth Cooper. At just four years old, she was cast in popular television programme One Life To Live, portraying Sarah Roberts from 1994 to 1997. In 1998, she made her film debut in A Bug’s Life, where she voiced a young ant named Dot. In 2000, she starred alongside Denzel Washington in the US biographical sports drama, Remember the Titans.

Most recently, Panettiere starred in Scream VI as Kirby Reed, which was released in 2023.

In May of this year, Panettiere released her memoir, titled This Is Me: A Reckoning. She wrapped the press tour for her memoir in late May.

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Tributes are pouring in for the late star. Viola Davis has taken to Instagram to describe her as 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.” A close friend of Panettiere’s, Selma Blair, took to Instagram to write, “I love you. Don’t be gone. Don’t be gone. Please. Please.”

Other heartfelt tributes online include Kim Cattrall, who appeared alongside Panettiere in 2005’s Ice Princess by director Tim Fywell, posting a sweet image of the two from the sports comedy with the caption, “Rest in peace, sweet Hayden. Gone far too soon.”

Additionally, the actor’s ex-fiancé, former world heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, has recently shared that he is “deeply saddened” by the tragic news. The two share a daughter, born in 2014.

It has been confirmed that the cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Our sincere condolences to Hayden’s family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.

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