Hayden Panettiere Has Died At 36

Hayden Panettiere, celebrated for her work in television, film, and video games—including the acclaimed titles Until Dawn and the Kingdom Hearts franchise—has tragically passed away at 36.

While the circumstances of her death remain undisclosed, her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed the loss in a statement to ABC News.

The statement read: ‘It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. 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 career spanned decades, beginning as a child actress in Disney productions such as A Bug’s Life and Dinosaur. As an adult, she earned acclaim on television series including Heroes and Nashville, and she portrayed Kirby Reed across three installments of the Scream franchise starting in 2011.

In the gaming world, she is most remembered as the original voice of Kairi in the first two Kingdom Hearts titles, before the role was later assumed by Alyson Stoner. She also delivered a standout performance in Until Dawn, lending both voice and motion capture to the protagonist Sam.

Actress Jennifer Panettiere has been actively promoting her forthcoming memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, over the past few months.