Actress Hayden Panettiere died late Sunday night, according to a statement released by her family. She was 36.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” the statement, published by People magazine, reads. “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.” Panettiere’s cause of death has not yet been made public.
Just months ago, Panettiere published her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she opened up about motherhood—she welcomed her only child in 2014—and postpartum depression. She also wrote about coping with the death of her brother, Jansen, in 2023; her struggles with alcohol during her youth; and the challenges of dealing with the enormous level of fame that followed her during the early years of the last decade.
Panettiere first appeared in a commercial at just 11 months old, going on to earn a Grammy nomination and two Golden Globe nominations during a career that spanned film, television, and music. Below, revisit some of Panettiere’s most memorable roles.
Princess Dot in A Bug’s Life
Panettiere was just nine years old when she voiced this adorable cartoon bug in Disney-Pixar’s 1998 animated film A Bug’s Life. She scored a Grammy nomination in the best spoken word album for children category for her performance as Dot in the film’s read-along companion.
