US actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in the TV shows Heroes and Nashville and the movie Raising Helen, has died at the age of 36. Her father, Skip, confirmed the news in a statement, saying 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.” No cause of death has been announced.
Final interview and memoir
Earlier this summer, Panettiere appeared on a podcast with Jay Shetty, where she discussed her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, which covered her addiction, mental health struggles, and personal loss. In the interview, she spoke about leaving behind years of “darkness” and expressed hope for the future.
“I finally feel like I have shaken off all of this darkness and this negativity,” she said. “I’ve closed one door and another door is opened. I can feel all the exciting possibilities. I feel like I have a lot more life to live.”
Custody decision and daughter Kaya
In July, Panettiere spoke to parenting outlet Mome about giving up custody of her daughter Kaya, 11, to her ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko, 50. She described the decision as difficult, saying, “It wasn’t a decision I made lightly, nor was it a decision I even wanted to make. I was going through a really challenging time in my life… I knew I needed to be able to put her first so that I could get the help I needed and be the mum she needed me to be.”
After giving birth in 2014, Panettiere experienced severe complications, including haemorrhaging that required seven blood transfusions and surgery. She recalled praying for her daughter’s safety, saying, “I closed my eyes and just prayed for my daughter to be OK. I truly was ready to go if it was my time. Kaya being safe and healthy was all that mattered.” Days later, she developed postnatal depression and turned to alcohol, which led to dependency.
Reflections on motherhood and recovery
Despite undergoing treatment, Panettiere felt the “root cause” of her drinking was not addressed. She said, “I wish more people had known what it was at the time. Maybe I wouldn’t have waited so long to get help.” Six years after giving up custody, she described her current relationship with her daughter, saying, “I love my daughter, and I’m so proud of the young woman she is becoming. I talk to her all the time, and I feel so connected to her. She’s like a mini-me.”
In her memoir, she wrote about the pain of being separated from Kaya, calling it “the most gut-wrenching experience of my life.” She added, “I grieve that I’m not the mother I thought I’d be and definitely not the mother I want to be… She is the greatest gift of my life, with all the best parts of her father and me.”
