Alexa PenaVega is reflecting on childhood fame after Hayden Panettiere’s death.
“Hayden, Michelle [Trachtenberg], Daveigh [Chase] … my heart is heavy today,” PenaVega, 37, wrote via Instagram on Monday, August 17. “These aren’t just names from my childhood. They’re girls I grew up alongside, sharing a world that was exciting and also incredibly hard. We were kids navigating something so big, and not everyone had the foundation or support they deserved.”
She continued, “Today, I’m grieving and holding their families close in my prayers and thinking of everyone still fighting battles we can’t see. Hug your people close today.”
Trachtenberg, who starred alongside Panettiere in the 2005 film Ice Princess, died at age 39 in February 2025, while Chase — who voiced Lilo in the 2002 movie Lilo & Stitch — died at age 35 in June. (PenaVega, meanwhile, was a fixture in the early aughts from her work in the Spy Kids franchise.)
Hayden’s father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed her death in a statement shared via her rep on Sunday, August 16. She was 36.
“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,” read the statement to Us. “We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
Authorities in Greenville, South Carolina, confirmed on Monday that they had responded to reports of an “unresponsive female” at a residence, who was later identified as Hayden. An investigation is underway.
“The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office,” authorities said in a statement. “The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. An acquaintance of Ms. Panettiere placed the 911 call.”
TMZ further reported that first responders attempted to resuscitate Hayden using “advanced cardiac life support,” including special medicines, breathing tubes and heart rhythm tracking, after she suffered an apparent overdose. She was pronounced dead after the paramedics were unable to revive her.
A cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Hayden rose to fame as a child star in the ‘90s, appearing on the soap operas One Life to Live and Guiding Light. She later landed her breakout roles in the 2000 film Remember the Titans and on the hit series Heroes from 2006 to 2010. She appeared on the musical drama Nashville from 2012 to 2018.
Hayden had many ups and downs through the years, including a struggle with alcohol and opioid addiction. She also battled postpartum depression following the birth of her and ex Wladimir Klitschko’s daughter, Kaya, in 2014.
“Let’s see where my life is going to go, because I finally feel like I have shaken all of this darkness and negativity, and that means I’ve closed one door and another door is opened, and I can feel it opened,” Hayden said while reflecting on her challenges during an appearance on Jay Shetty’s podcast in May. “I feel like I have a lot more life to live.”
