Panettiere, who is widely known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, passed away on August 16, 2026, at the young age of 36.

Her passing was confirmed to ABC News by her representative and family, with a statement shared by her father, Skip Panettiere.

At the time of the initial announcements, no specific cause of death had been publicly released.

She began her career as a child actor on programs like One Life to Live and Guiding Light before achieving global prominence as Claire Bennet in Heroes and Juliette Barnes in Nashville.