The news of Hayden Panettiere’s death at the age of 36 is still a shocking and developing story in Hollywood. The actress -- known for the Scream films, Heroes and Nashville -- was reportedly found in cardiac arrest in her home in Greenville, South Carolina on Sunday afternoon. She was pronounced dead at the scene. As of late, the actress had returned to acting after a four-year break and, this year, she revealed why she took that hiatus.
Back in April, Panettiere actually spoke to Us Weekly about her break, which started after she spent six seasons as the lead of the drama series, Nashville. That break ended when she returned to the Scream franchise to reprise the role of Kirby Reed. In her words:
I had taken four years off. Didn’t know or plan to, but that’s just the way it panned out. And I desperately needed it.
I can understand why that time off would be so invaluable for Panettiere. She was essentially an actor her whole life, given she started working at the age of four. She famously voiced the character of Dot in Pixar’s second film, A Bug’s Life, as a young child star. Panettiere also memorably starred in Remember The Titans at the age of 10, playing the role of vivacious football fan Sheryl. Following Panettiere's death, fans have also been talking about her role in Ice Princess. She famously starred in that movie alongside Michelle Trachtenberg, who also unexpectedly died last year.
From 2018 to 2022, the Malcolm in the Middle alum didn't appear in any movies or TV show, so her reprisal of her Scream role was a welcome surprise at the time. From there, she headlined the video game Until Dawn and starred in a few more movies from 2023 up until her death. During the interview from just four months ago, she also said this:
I feel much more solid and grounded in this world, the crazy world that we live in… I’ve never been this version of me, I’ve never been as OK with being who I am without feeling the need to apologize for anything. I feel like I’ve finally earned the right to an opinion.
In 2018, Panettiere decided to relinquish full custody of her daughter, Kaya, to her ex, Wladimir Klitschko, after suffering postpartum depression and struggling with addiction. That year, Panettiere also reportedly started dating Brian Hickerson, whom she had allegedly had an on-and-off relationship with until 2020.
Hickerson was arrested twice on domestic violence allegations in incidents involving Hayden Panettiere in 2019 and 2020. She also requested a restraining order against Hickerson in July of 2020. The actress opened up about her alleged violent incidents with Hickerson in her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.
Page Six reported that Panettiere and Hickerson reconciled earlier this year, but kept their friends “in the dark”. According to NBC News, Hickerson was at the scene on the day of her death and spoke to police about a “bag of medication” she was taking. Panettiere’s official cause of death is awaiting pending toxicology results.
In the meantime, many continue to mourn Hayden Panettiere and send well wishes to her family, friends and love ones. The impact that she made through her body of work is incredibly meaningful, and it feels like that the productions she starred in will be enjoyed for years to come. On that note, though, it's also comforting that she had the opportunity to step away from the industry at one point at her own leisure.
