Actress Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36. Her father described her as "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 on-screen." The family has asked for privacy as they process the loss. No cause of death has been confirmed.
High-profile relationships
Panettiere had several notable relationships. She met Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko at a party, and they began dating around 2009. The couple welcomed their daughter Kaya in 2014 but split in 2018. Panettiere later spoke about losing custody of Kaya to Klitschko, writing in her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning: "Not being under the same roof with her every day has been the most gut-wrenching experience of my life, and it’s hard to describe the layers of emotion, including sadness, resentment, and anger, I’ve felt because of it." She also said: "Trust me, no one should ever have to raise a child on FaceTime, and although I miss Kaya so much my heart aches, I know how blessed I am to be her mom." The pair remained on good terms.
Earlier, she dated One Tree Hill star Stephen Colletti from 2006 to 2007, and Heroes co-star Milo Ventimiglia from 2007 to 2009. She said of their age gap: "At 18, I lived so much life that he almost couldn't count me as being 18. So Milo and I, even though he was 30, had a lot more in common than people might think." She also dated New York Jets wide receiver Scotty McKnight from 2011 to 2012.
Turbulent relationship with Brian Hickerson
Following her split from Klitschko, Panettiere had a turbulent relationship with actor Brian Hickerson, who was charged with domestic violence more than once. In 2021, he served 45 days in prison after pleading no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse/cohabitant/girlfriend/child's parent. He previously told TMZ about his arrest: "I got arrested for, you know, abusing her, and I wouldn’t blame her friends for being p***ed off at me."
Career from child star to global fame
Panettiere began appearing in adverts at 11 months old. Her full-time acting career started with roles in soap operas, including One Life to Live (1994–1997) and Guiding Light (1996–2000). She was homeschooled to accommodate her schedule. Her film debut was voicing Princess Dot in A Bug's Life (1998), earning nominations for a Grammy and a Young Artist Award. She appeared in Ally McBeal (2002), Malcolm in the Middle (2003–2005), Raising Helen (2004), and Tiger Cruise (2004).
At 17, she became a global star playing Claire Bennet in Heroes (2006–2010). She later played Juliette Barnes in Nashville, earning two Golden Globe nominations. She also starred as Kirby Reed in the Scream franchise, appearing in Scream 4 and Scream VI (2023). In video games, she voiced Kairi and Xion in Kingdom Hearts and Samantha Giddings in Until Dawn (2015).
