Hayden Panettiere reflected on “good times” in her final Instagram post prior to her death.
“Good times and good friends @randallslavin ✨,” the Nashville alum captioned a black-and-white photo of herself with photographer and director Randall Slavin. The July 27 post captured Panettiere winking at the camera while Slavin, 56, wrapped his arm around her.
Hayden’s father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed to Us on Sunday, August 16, that the 36-year-old actress had died. “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,” his statement read. “We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
Details of her death were not immediately available. Hayden is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with ex Wladimir Klitschko.
Slavin, a former actor who has photographed a string of A-list celebrities, shared Hayden’s post via his Instagram Stories late on Sunday night. “Peace be with you, H,” he captioned the post, setting it to the sound of Olivia Dean’s “Dive.”
Hayden began acting as a child, rising to fame through her role as Clare Bennet in Heroes, which she held from 2006 to 2010. She then starred in 2011’s Amanda Knox TV movie before landing another enduring TV role from 2012 to 2018 in Nashville as Juliette Barnes.
Her film career also included the role of Kirby Reed in 2011’s Scream 4 and 2023’s Scream VI. She most recently starred in the psychological thriller film Sleepwalker, which was released in theaters in January.
Hayden’s personal life was put under the spotlight over the years, resulting in a memoir titled This Is Me: A Reckoning, which she released in May. In the book, the actress wrote candidly about her struggles with being a child star as well as addiction and postpartum depression. She also shared her experience with abuse at the hands of an ex.
Additionally, the book discussed the unexpected 2023 death of Hayden’s 28-year-old brother, Jansen Panettiere, from an undiagnosed heart condition.
She told Us while promoting her memoir in May, “It really started when I was 16 years old … people creating stories that were false about me. There have been a lot of preconceived ideas, and I’ve always tried to be open and honest. I felt like there was a big target on my back and all that mattered was what would make the biggest headlines and shock people the most.”
