Panettiere.
Photo: Jeff Neira/Disney via Getty Images
Hayden Panettiere’s former co-stars, friends, and admirers are paying tribute to the millennial icon following her death. On August 17, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office confirmed the 36-year-old Panettiere had died of cardiac arrest. She was known for starring in the hit TV dramas Nashville and Heroes and for leading movies including Scream 4 and Ice Princess. In more recent years, including in her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, she was open about her struggles with addiction and the spotlight. In the time since her sudden death, celebrities publicly mourning include Viola Davis, Selma Blair, and Rosie O’Donnell.
Below is a compilation of the tributes to Panettiere from those who grew up with her, worked with her, and loved her.
The EGOT-winning Davis and Panettiere worked together on the 2016 courtroom drama Custody, directed by theater icon James Lapine. “I wish the world had more time with you because I had a burning curiosity about who you were becoming,” Davis wrote.
The child stars of the early 2000s share a special bond, and Spy Kids star Alexa PenaVega reflects on growing up with Panettiere and other starlets in the spotlight. “Hayden, Michelle, Daveigh… my heart is heavy today,” she wrote on Instagram. “These aren’t just names from my childhood. They’re girls I grew up alongside, sharing a world that was exciting and also incredibly hard. We were kids navigating something so big, and not everyone had the foundation or support they deserved.”
Charles Esten recalled his first time meeting Panettiere while auditioning for Nashville. After his nervous audition, he ran into his future co-star, starstruck as he and his family were huge fans of her from Heroes. Fresh off his great audition, he told her, “See you on the set!” And sure enough, they became co-stars and close friends. He concluded, “She was, of course, extraordinarily talented, infusing her larger-than-life character with all the heart, charisma, humor, whip-smart intelligence, and flat-out magic that were, alongside whatever troubles and pain she carried, a part of her own personal palette. What a great gift it was to act with her, sing with her, and to just be her friend.”
Neve Campbell, Panettiere’s Scream co-star, remembers her late costar in a statement to Vulture, writing, “I found Hayden to be really kind and funny and brought a magnetic energy to set. She was a true talent which shows in the decades she worked in such a short life. Her family and loved ones are in my prayers.”
Blake Lively shares an important reminder for people to show compassion for one another. She wrote on Instagram Stories, alongside a photo of Michelle Trachtenberg and Panettiere, “Be. Kind. You never know what others are going through. Thank you to both these women for all the joy you brought so many.”
On Nashville, they were rivals. Behind the scenes, they shared a special bond. “This was Hayden. Bursting with brilliance, shining so bright,” Connie Britton wrote alongside sweet photos of her co-star. “I have no words for this sad song. Just heartbreak. I love you girl. Sleep easy now.”
Panettiere voiced Kairi, a beloved character in the Kingdom Hearts franchise. “Through her performance as Kairi, Hayden brought warmth, heart, and an unforgettable voice to the Kingdom Hearts series,” the KH official account posted alongside a photo of her character.
Alyson Stoner, who also played Kairi in Kingdom Hearts, shared an emotional, heartfelt video mourning the loss of Panettiere. “I wanted to acknowledge Hayden’s passing. I’ve worked with Hayden,” Stoner cried as they paid their respects. “I worked with Hayden’s brother, Jansen. And from one Kairi to another, I just wanted to acknowledge the tremendous loss, not only for the Kingdom Hearts family but, of course, all of the close loved ones and the millions of lives that Hayden reached.”
Lenz, best known for starring on One Tree Hill, co-starred with Panettiere on the soap opera Guiding Light when they were both child stars in the late ’90s. “I’m crushed,” Lenz wrote. “I knew the wild little blonde. Was she nine? Ten? I was eighteen.”
Panettiere appeared on The Rosie O’Donnell Show as a child in 2000 singing Britney Spears’s “You Drive Me Crazy.” “Oh my god – heartbroken,” O’Donnell wrote.
Simpson and Panettiere came of age in the same era of aughts Hollywood. “I’m deeply saddened by the news of Hayden Panettiere’s passing,” Simpson wrote.
Osbourne shared a tribute to Panettiere via her Instagram Story. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of someone who meant so much to me,” she wrote. “We understood each other in a way few truly can — recognizing how difficult it is to grow up in the spotlight, and how isolating it can feel even when surrounded by so many people. My heart grieves for someone so special to this world and such a good friend to me. I will never forget you, Hayden, and I will always believe you deserved better. Rest in peace, sweet princess. You will never be forgotten.”
Known for creating Pushing Daisies and Hannibal, Fuller was a producer on season one of Heroes, Panettiere’s breakout project. “Wise beyond her years and already saddled with so much of a life, she left an indelible mark on me as a writer and a storyteller,” he wrote.
Actress Shaw had a well-known kissing scene with Panettiere on Nashville. “She had this way of making you feel at home,” Shaw wrote. “From the moment I walked onto the Nashville set, she made me feel like I belonged.”
Actress Manning (Orange Is the New Black) shared a memory of her time with Panettiere on Instagram. “We were in Washington, D.C., surrounded by very suited, slightly strange men, and somehow we just kept catching each other’s eyes and laughing uncontrollably at the weirdness,” she wrote. “And then we dipped out and ate at a diner.”
Music-video director Applebaum directed the video for Panettiere’s single “Wake Up Call.” “When I saw her at Paris’ a couple months ago we were cracking up over all the funny stuff we talked about between shots, pranking Klitschko in Miami, and how tiny she was,” he remembered. “Such a sweet, tiny little bundle of joy.”
Best known for her work in The Princess Diaries, Matarazzo remembered getting to know Panettiere when they were young. “We first met on the LIRR traveling to NYC for auditions when we were both kids,” she wrote on Instagram. “Every time our paths crossed, my heart always filled up. She was special.”
Panettiere and Tortorella starred in Scream 4. He paid tribute to her on his Instagram Story. “It’s your birthday in a few days,” he wrote. “The same day as my mom’s. This one really hurts. I love you so much, sis. We grew up together in so many ways, fought like siblings, loved like siblings, and somewhere along the way, you just became family. I know you were in so much pain. I hope wherever you are now, you’re surrounded by all the love and light you gave to so many of us. I miss you. I love you. Happy almost birthday, Hayd.”
Roberts also starred in Scream 4 with Panettiere. “Rest in peace my sweet friend. you are so loved and you will be forever missed,” she wrote.
Cattrall played Panettiere’s mother in the cult classic Ice Princess. “Rest in peace sweet Hayden,” she wrote. “Gone far too soon.”
Podcaster Shetty interviewed Panettiere earlier this year. “I can’t believe it,” he wrote in the comments of Variety’s Instagram post sharing the news. “Our friendship had just begun and I was so moved by the conversation we shared earlier this year. My love and condolences to her family and fans.”
Blair commented on Panettiere’s final Instagram post. “I love you,” she wrote. “Don’t be gone. Don’t be gone. Please. Please.”
