Charles Esten showed that some connections are written into the heart forever with a loving tribute performance in honor of his “great friend” and former Nashville costar Hayden Panettiere.
The actor, who played Deacon Claybourne alongside the late star’s Juliette Barnes in the musical drama series, reflected on the bond they shared while mourning the “terrible loss” of Panettiere in an anecdote at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on Saturday, August 22.
“She was just a bright, shining light of fireworks,” Esten told the crowd in a viral clip shared via TikTok just days after Panettiere’s death on August 16 at the age of 36. “She was such a great friend to me, so kind from the very beginning.”
He reminisced on the first day they met while auditioning for Nashville, and bumping into her while she was “listening at the door just like Juliette Barnes would have.”
Panettiere sweetly told Esten how “good” his audition was, clapping in approval. “She was so kind to me,” he gushed, noting he and his family were always big fans of her starring role as cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes.
“Save the cheerleader, save the world,” he said, referencing the iconic quote from season 1.
Esten remembered how Panettiere later told the crew, “I don’t know who that guy is, but if you don’t hire him, you’re crazy.”
“She did that for me,” he pointed out, “and that’s who she was.” The two both ultimately booked their roles on the show, which spanned for six seasons from 2012 to 2018. He added, “What a great gift it was to act with her, sing with her, and to just be her friend.”
Esten then did a soulful rendition of his 2024 track “Somewhere in the Sunshine” dedicated to Panettiere.
News broke earlier this month that Panettiere died from an apparent overdose in South Carolina.
A resident of the apartment building where she died exclusively told Us that a neighbor said one of Panettiere’s friends was playing at The Foundry on August 14, and she was staying at an Airbnb in the complex. (The music venue is attached to the apartment building.)
Us learned that Esten was booked to perform two nights at the venue as part of his Carolina Tour. Panettiere died one day after his last show at The Foundry.
Panettiere’s cause of death has yet to be confirmed, but an autopsy showed “no signs of trauma” that contributed to her death, which remains under investigation.
