Hayden Panettiere: Representative confirms actress’s death at 36

Hayden Panettiere has died at 36, her representative confirmed to ABC News. The cause of death and further details were not immediately available in the initial reporting.

Representative confirms actress’s death at 36

Panettiere’s representative confirmed her death in a statement to ABC News, which was also reported by Nine and The Hollywood Reporter. The representative described her as “an incredible light and a force of nature” who brought love and joy to those who knew her and to viewers who watched her work.

The reports do not establish the cause of death. ABC News said further details surrounding her death were not immediately available, while The Hollywood Reporter reported that details remained unknown.

Career in Heroes, Nashville and film

Panettiere began working as a child star and built a career across television and film. She was best known for playing Claire Bennet on the television series Heroes and Juliette Barnes on the musical drama Nashville, according to ABC News.

Her other credited roles included appearances in Remember the Titans, Raising Helen, Ice Princess, I Love You, Beth Cooper, Scream 4 and Scream VI. She also starred in the television movie Amanda Knox, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Her memoir was released in May

In May, Panettiere released This Is Me: A Reckoning. The memoir addressed her experience growing up in the spotlight, her relationships, addiction and severe postpartum depression, according to Nine and The Hollywood Reporter.

Ahead of its release, she told The Hollywood Reporter that she wanted to tell her own stories without “drag[ging] people through the mud”. She also said she had been protective of the people discussed in her writing.

Panettiere had a daughter, Kaya, with Ukrainian champion heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Nine reported that her daughter was 11.

The latest confirmed position is that the actress’s representative has announced her death at 36; reporting available at this stage does not provide a cause or additional circumstances.