Hayden Panettiere’s ‘Nashville’ mom says late actress’s ‘inner demons’ were ‘too much to bear’

Hayden Panettiere’s “Nashville” mom, Sylvia Jefferies, said the late actress’s “demons” were “too much to bear” before her tragic death.

“This hits deep. I’ve had to take the day to let the idea that Hayden is not with us, wash over me,” Jefferies wrote on Instagram Monday.

“I shoot straight from the hip. At times, Hayden was not easy to be around. I remember calling her a downright tornado. But she was our tornado,” the “Eastbound & Down” alum added.

“The sun that appears, the light mist that begins, the rain that gets heavier, the swirling of everything around her, and then the gentle tapering rain returns, along with the calm and sun and light in her eyes, and the giggle in her voice.”

Jefferies, 57, said that though Panettiere “had an incredibly bright future ahead of her,” her “inner demons were at times too much to bear.”

“I pause as I reflect on her, looking at photos, remembering scenes, listening to voicemails, and remembering the first time she called me ‘Mama’ while she shared stories of her youth. We seemed far apart, but we were very close in our hearts,” the “Walker Payne” actress penned.

Jefferies said she and the “Heroes” alum “reconnected” after the former read the latter’s new memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” earlier this year and had made plans to see each other.

“I was so proud of her for sharing the real Hayden, something that had to be excruciatingly painful for such a gentle soul,” Jefferies wrote.

“Our hearts are shattered, knowing that you are not just a phone call or text away, but we can rest easy knowing that you’re at peace, with your brother, dancing in that water with the dolphins for whom you cared so dearly,” she added, referring to Panettiere’s younger brother, Jansen, who died in February 2023 from a heart condition at the age of 28.

“I love you, sweet girl. Always, in all ways. Love, Mama.”

Panettiere was also honored by her other “Nashville” co-stars.

Connie Britton, who played country music superstar Rayna James on the hit series, said the “Remember the Titans” star was “bursting with brilliance, shining so bright.

“I have no words for this sad song. Just heartbreak. I love you girl. Sleep easy now. 💔,” Britton, 59, added.

“Nashville” alum Sam Palladio also paid tribute to Panettiere, writing on Instagram that the actress was “generous, wise beyond [her] years and lit up every room with [her] star.”

Panettiere was found dead in an Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday. She was 36.

An autopsy obtained by Page Six stated “no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.”

A cause of death has not yet been revealed.

The day before her death, Panettiere had flown from Los Angeles to South Carolina with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.

The “Bring It On: All or Nothing” actress is survived by her daughter, Kaya, who lives in Ukraine with her father, Wladimir Klitschko.