By Kotaku | Created at 2026-08-17 04:15:43 | Updated at 2026-08-17 06:10:40
2 hours ago
Hayden Panettiere, the actor known for roles across TV, movies, and video games like Until Dawn and the Kingdom Hearts series, has died at the age of 36.
Details surrounding her death have not been made public, but her father, Skip Panettiere released a statement to ABC News confirming her passing.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” the statement reads. “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.”
Panettiere had a pretty lengthy filmography, having started acting as a child star and working on several Disney projects like A Bug’s Life and. Dinosaur. As an adult, she was known especially for her work in television on shows like Heroes and Nashville. She was also part of the Scream franchise for over a decade, playing Kirby Reed in three films after 2011. Games fans will know her best as the original voice of Kairi in the first two Kingdom Hearts games, though the role was later taken up by Alyson Stoner after Panettiere moved on from the series. She also had a starring role in Until Dawn, providing both the voice and motion capture for Sam in the horror game.
In recent months, Panettiere had been promoting her memoir titled This Is Me: A Reckoning.
