By Variety | Created at 2026-08-17 10:46:55 | Updated at 2026-08-17 11:13:41
1 hour ago
Celebrities are paying tribute to “Nashville” and “Heroes” actress Hayden Panettiere, who died Sunday at 36.
Though a cause of death has not been released, her father told ABC News on Sunday: “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.”
Viola Davis shared a moving tribute to Panettiere on Instagram. She and her husband, Julius Tennon, starred with Panettiere in the 2016 courtroom drama “Custody.”
“What an amazing talent you were….so gifted,” Davis wrote. “Julius and I loved working with you….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. Your tests became your testimony, and your testimony became your legacy. You will be remembered. Rest well, Hayden. Sending healing prayers to your family, your daughter, and all who loved you. May they always speak your name.”
Panettiere’s close friend and “One Tree Hill” star Bethany Joy Lenz also penned a lengthy remembrance on social media alongside photos of them over the years.
“I’m crushed,” Lenz wrote. “I knew the wild little blonde. Was she nine? Ten? I was eighteen. She ran through the Screen Gem studio hallways at 222 E44th St. laughing and playing games in between blocking and camera rehearsals. Long, unruly curls trailing behind her. She knew her lines and everyone else’s. Her intelligence was astonishing. She understood scenes and nuance and human struggle like no child I’d ever seen on camera. And she’d sit with you for a great conversation, then giggle and go play.”
She continued, “We’d connect on and off over the years, like the cousin in the family reunion who got famous and life moved her away—but I always felt such joy seeing her when we were lucky enough to cross paths. We’d make a pact to talk soon. Lunch. Dinner. Somewhere we could curl up into a corner—but we never quite made it happen. I mostly stayed up to date through mutual friends.”
Lenz concluded: “I dont 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. And her daughter…. 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.”
“Rest in peace sweet Hayden,” Panettiere’s “Scream 6” co-star Melissa Barrera wrote on her Instagram Story.
Jay Shetty commented on Variety‘s Instagram post about the news: “I can’t believe it. Our friendship had just begun and I was so moved by the conversation we shared earlier this year. My love and condolences to her family and fans.”
Selma Blair posted, “I love you. Don’t be gone. Please.”
Added singer JoJo, “I am so sorry to hear of her passing. Oh My God.”
