"Heroes" actress Hayden Panettiere dies at 36

US actress Hayden Panettiere, who began her career as a child and became known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36, her representative confirmed to ABC News.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” her father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement. “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.”

Her father asked for privacy as the family mourns. No details about the cause of death were immediately released.

Panettiere rose to fame as Claire Bennet on Heroes and later starred as Juliette Barnes in Nashville. Her film credits included Remember the Titans, Raising Helen, Ice Princess and Scream 4. She also reprised her role as Kirby Reed in the Scream franchise in 2023.

The actress was open about her struggles with addiction, postpartum depression and trauma. In a 2022 interview with Good Morning America, she said, “I didn't know where the alcoholism was ending and the postpartum was beginning. And I ran myself pretty ragged.”

Panettiere was the mother of a daughter, Kaya Klitschko, born in 2014 to Panettiere and her former fiancé, heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Her death comes less than a week before her 37th birthday on August 21.

By Sabina Mammadli