Hayden Panettiere was looking toward the future with renewed hope just months before her heartbreaking death at the age of 36.
The Heroes, Nashville and Scream star had spent years openly discussing some of the darkest chapters of her life, including addiction, postpartum depression, trauma and the devastating loss of her younger brother.
But when she spoke about her future while promoting her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, her words suggested she believed she was finally entering a brighter chapter.
“I finally feel like I have shaken off all of this darkness and this negativity,” Panettiere said during an emotional appearance on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast.
“And that means I’ve closed one door and another door is opened and I can feel it opened and I can feel all the possibilities, all the exciting possibilities.”
Then she offered a heartbreaking glimpse into how she viewed the years ahead.
“I feel like I have a lot more life to live.”
Those words now carry an especially painful weight.
Panettiere’s death was confirmed by her representative on Monday, Aug. 17. She was just 36.
Her father, Skip Panettiere, remembered his daughter as someone who brought enormous joy to those around her.
“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,” he said.
He also asked for privacy “as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
A cause of death has not been publicly announced.
She believed she was finally leaving the darkness behind
In the podcast interview, Panettiere became emotional while discussing the process of writing her memoir and confronting painful experiences from her past.
She spoke about addiction, postpartum depression and the years of struggle that followed her rapid rise to fame.
“It was one of the hardest parts of this too, figuring out what to call it. I felt like I couldn’t come up with a name until I was already until I was done with the process of the book. Sometimes people do it in the middle of the experience.
“Sometimes people need a title before they start the process of writing and I felt like I had to wait till till the end.
“I finally feel like I have shaken off all of this darkness and this negativity. And that means I’ve closed one door and another door is opened and I can feel it opened and I can feel all the possibilities, all the exciting possibilities.
“I feel like I have a lot more life to live.”
The actress had been determined to tell her story honestly, including the difficult decision surrounding custody of her daughter, Kaya, whom she shares with former partner and former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.
“That was incredibly difficult. The fact that my child wasn’t going to be with me all day every day was just … you can’t put words to it.”
Panettiere had transferred full custody to Klitschko in 2018 while receiving treatment for alcoholism, substance abuse and postpartum depression. In later years, she pushed back against claims that she had simply “given away” her daughter, explaining how painful the decision had been.
A life filled with extraordinary highs and painful lows
Panettiere began working as an actress when she was a child, appearing in television soap operas before becoming widely known through roles in Remember the Titans, Ally McBeal, Malcolm in the Middle and Ice Princess.
Her breakthrough came in 2006 when she was cast as Claire Bennet on Heroes. She later became a major television star as Juliette Barnes on Nashville, a role that earned her two Golden Globe nominations.
She also appeared in Scream 4 and returned as Kirby Reed in Scream VI in 2023.
But behind the success, Panettiere struggled for years.
In a 2022 interview, she spoke candidly about alcoholism and postpartum depression.
“I didn’t know where the alcoholism was ending and the postpartum was beginning,” she said. “And I ran myself pretty ragged.”
She later described her recovery as an ongoing process.
“I was on top of the world, and I ruined it,” she told PEOPLE. “I’d think I hit rock bottom, but then there’s that trap door that opens.”
“I put a lot of work into myself, and I had to be willing to be incredibly honest,” she continued. “There were a lot of ups and downs, but I don’t regret even the ugliest things that have happened to me.”
She was still carrying the loss of her brother
Another devastating chapter came in 2023, when Panettiere’s younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died at just 28.
The loss deeply affected Hayden, who later said she felt as though she had lost part of herself.
“He was my only sibling, and it was my job to protect him. When I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul.”
Yet even after everything she had endured, Panettiere spoke about continuing to move forward.
In one of her final interviews, she offered another glimpse into her mindset:
“I’m a work in progress — we all are. I take each day as it comes. I’m doing the work, and I’m doing my best.”
Her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, became an opportunity to reclaim her own story—from growing up in Hollywood and struggling with addiction to motherhood, heartbreak, grief and recovery.
Now, her hopeful words about the future are being remembered in an entirely different light.
“I feel like I have a lot more life to live.”
Co-stars and friends remember Hayden
Tributes began pouring in following news of her death.
Scream co-star Melissa Barrera wrote, “Rest in peace sweet Hayden,” alongside a broken-heart emoji.
Selma Blair commented on Panettiere’s latest social media post: “I love you. Don’t be gone. Don’t be gone. Please. Please.”
Singer JoJo wrote on Instagram Stories: “This is such devastating news. I am so sorry to hear of her passing. Oh My God.”
SAG-AFTRA also paid tribute, writing: “We mourn the sudden passing of Hayden Panettiere. A child actor, Hayden’s long career in TV & film included memorable roles in ‘Heroes,’ ‘Nashville’ & more. Our hearts are with her daughter, family, friends & fans.”
For those who watched Panettiere grow from a child star into an internationally recognized actress, her death is especially difficult to comprehend.
She had spent years fighting to move beyond the darkness—and only months ago, she spoke with genuine hope about everything she believed was still ahead.
At just 36, Hayden Panettiere leaves behind a daughter, a grieving family, millions of fans and words about a future she believed was only beginning.
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