Published: August 16, 2026 · 11:51 PM EDT
The actress and singer built a career across television, film and music, starring as Juliette Barnes in Nashville and Claire Bennet in Heroes while also becoming part of the Scream franchise
Hayden Panettiere, the actress and singer known for major roles in Nashville, Heroes and the Scream franchise, has died at the age of 36.
Her representative confirmed the news to ABC News, describing Panettiere as an important presence to those who knew her and the millions who followed her work on screen. Further details surrounding her death have not been publicly released, and no cause of death has been announced.
Panettiere's career extended across television, film and music from childhood into adulthood, but for music audiences one of her most important roles came through Nashville.
Panettiere starred as Juliette Barnes in Nashville, the television drama built around the personal and professional lives of artists inside the country music industry.
She played the character from the series' launch in 2012 through its conclusion in 2018, earning two Golden Globe nominations for her performance.
The role also moved beyond acting.
Panettiere performed extensively on the show's soundtracks, recording songs as Juliette Barnes and becoming part of the commercial music surrounding the series.
Her recording “Love Like Mine” entered Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart at No. 43 in 2012, while other Nashville performances became part of the show's soundtrack catalog.
That crossover between scripted television and commercially released country music gave Panettiere a genuine connection to the music industry beyond simply playing a singer on screen.
Before Nashville, Panettiere became internationally recognized as Claire Bennet on NBC's Heroes.
The series premiered in 2006, with Panettiere's portrayal of the seemingly indestructible high-school cheerleader becoming one of the show's defining characters.
The role helped establish her as one of the most recognizable young television actors of the late 2000s.
Panettiere also became part of the Scream franchise as Kirby Reed, first appearing in Scream 4 and later returning to the character.
Her wider film career included Remember the Titans, Raising Helen, Ice Princess and I Love You, Beth Cooper.
She had worked in entertainment since childhood, beginning with commercials before moving into television and film roles at an early age.
Panettiere's work on Nashville gave her career an unusual place between Hollywood and the American country music industry.
The role of Juliette Barnes required her not only to portray the pressures surrounding a major recording artist, but also to record and perform music that existed commercially outside the television series.
For Rockum, that connection makes Panettiere part of a broader music-culture history alongside the television and film work for which she was best known.
Hayden Panettiere's death at 36 closes a career that began before she was one year old and eventually stretched across several generations of popular entertainment.
Heroes introduced her to a worldwide television audience, Scream connected her to one of horror cinema's major franchises, and Nashville allowed her to combine acting and music through a character deeply embedded in country culture.
At the time of publication, her representative has confirmed her death, but additional circumstances have not been disclosed. Rockum will not speculate on information that has not been officially confirmed.
Across television, film and music, Hayden Panettiere built a career that reached audiences through very different worlds. For music viewers, her years as Juliette Barnes on Nashville remain an important part of that legacy, connecting her acting career with country recordings and performances that extended beyond the television screen. She was 36.
Written by Gino Alache – Music Journalist
SOURCE: ABC News / People / Reuters / Golden Globes / Billboard
IMAGE CREDIT: Mark Delong/CMT
