Hayden Panettiere's death has rocked the entertainment world, after the former child star and Heroes actress was found unresponsive inside an Airbnb in South Carolina on Sunday.
"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden," her rep told HELLO!. "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."
Authorities arrived on the scene just before 2 p.m. on Sunday after an acquaintance of Hayden's called 911. She was pronounced dead shortly thereafter, with police stating that they found no signs of "foul play" or "suspicious circumstances" during their preliminary investigation.
Hayden's life in the spotlight and behind the scenes was far from easy, with the actress battling loss, addiction and trauma over the years. Join HELLO! as we uncover the heartbreaking tragedies she endured before her death at 36.
Hayden's world shattered in February 2023 when her younger brother, Jansen, suddenly passed away due to an undiagnosed heart condition.
She was forced to relay the news to her mother, Lesley Vogel, and shared on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast in 2026 that she spiralled into a deep depression after his loss.
"There's nothing in my life that feels like losing my other half, the other half that was born to be the yin to my yang," she explained.
"I would need a dictionary to go through all the words for all the feelings that go through your mind."
"I collapsed, and it stayed with me," she continued. "Time is the best healer, generally, but it's been three years and every year it's changed. The heartbreak has changed. But losing him and realizing how much of life I was gonna have to go through alone and without him."
Hayden added that Jansen was "so alive in my head still" and she "never thought that anything could take him down or take him away".
"He was so good, too, and it makes you so angry to see that there are bad people thriving in this world, and then one so good that's just taken from you," she lamented.
"Why? It's not fair. It doesn't make sense. I will never get over it. It will just evolve."
Hayden shared a touching social media tribute to Jansen in September 2025 alongside a photo of the pair as kids. "My little brother Jansen would've turned 31 today," she wrote.
"He was a remarkable human being. He was wise beyond his years and operated at a higher spiritual level than anyone I've ever met. He was everything that is good and pure in this world."
"I miss him every single day, but I know his spirit is always near, watching over and protecting me and my family. I love you to infinity and beyond, J, and we will be together again one day."
