Hayden Panettiere dies

Nicole Fallert, USA TODAYMon, August 17, 2026 at 10:13 AM UTC

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A beloved child actor dies

Hayden Panettiere, the former child actor best known for her roles in TV series like "Heroes" and "Nashville," has died at 36. Her representative confirmed her death in a statement to ABC News on Sunday. A cause of death has not yet been shared.

Panettiere, who had been acting since she was 8 months old, had been vocal in recent years about the effects of childhood stardom. In her memoir released earlier this year, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," Panettiere chronicled childhood fame, crossing nefarious actors in her teens and addiction as an adult.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hayden Panettiere dies

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