Nearly one year before her own death, Hayden Panettiere opened up about the special connection she shared with late Ice Princess costar Michelle Trachtenberg.
“Actually, her grandmother lived across the street from my grandparents in Brooklyn. So I knew Michelle way before that … like Harriet the Spy days,” Panettiere told Entertainment Weekly in September 2025.
The Nashville alum continued, “We not only grew up in the same industry, but grew up knowing each other’s families, relatively closely, just because of the distance. We would have block parties. So I have memories of her and I from long ago.”
When it came to sharing the screen in Disney’s 2005 movie Ice Princess, Panettiere said the experience was “great.”
“It was great to work with Kim Cattrall who was in that, who is amazing, is phenomenal,” she added. “It was such a unique experience. I mean, we had to learn how to figure-skate in six weeks, which is no easy feat. But it was so much fun. We had a lot of fun and I’m very grateful that I have the memories that I have with her.”
News broke in February 2025 that Trachtenberg died at age 39 after being found unresponsive in her New York City apartment. The manner and cause of her death were initially undetermined. It was later revealed that the actress died from complications of diabetes mellitus.
Panettiere, meanwhile, died at age 36 on Sunday, August 16. Her father, Skip, confirmed her death in a statement shared via her rep.
“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,” the statement read. “We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
An investigation is underway. Panettiere’s autopsy was completed on Monday, August 17, with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office confirming that there were “no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.”
First responders reportedly used “advanced cardiac life support” while attempting to resuscitate Panettiere after receiving a call about an “unresponsive female” on Sunday afternoon. In dispatch audio obtained by People, officials were heard discussing an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest” around the time of her death.
Friends, fans and former costars have since shared their condolences and grief with heartfelt tributes remembering Panettiere’s impact. Cattrall, 69, shared a photo of herself and Panettiere from Ice Princess in an Instagram post on Monday.
“Rest in peace sweet Hayden. Gone far too soon 💔,” she wrote in the caption.
Panettiere is survived by her daughter, Kaya, 11, whom she shared with ex Wladimir Klitschko.
