Actress Hayden Panettiere has died at 36, her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed in a statement shared with ABC News on Sunday. Her father called her “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,” and asked for privacy as the family processes the loss. A cause of death has not been released, though her publicist indicated the circumstances were still being investigated.

Panettiere’s rise to fame accelerated in 2006, when she starred as cheer captain Britney Allen in “Bring It On: All or Nothing” and, the same year, landed her breakout role as Claire Bennet, the indestructible cheerleader on NBC’s sci-fi series “Heroes,” a role she held for four seasons. She later gained wider fame as country singer Juliette Barnes on “Nashville” from 2012 to 2018, earning two Golden Globe nominations for the role.

Horror fans also knew her as Kirby Reed in the “Scream” franchise, appearing in both “Scream 4” and 2023’s “Scream VI.” Her other film credits include “Remember the Titans,” “Ice Princess” and “I Love You, Beth Cooper.” Born in 1989 and raised in Palisades, New York, Panettiere began working as an infant in television commercials before landing soap opera roles as a child.

Panettiere had spoken candidly in recent years about her struggles with postpartum depression and addiction, and about the grief of losing her younger brother, Jansen, in 2023. She is survived by her daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with former partner Wladimir Klitschko.

Original reporting: 93.1 WIBC (Indianapolis) — read the source article.