“Don't be gone. Please”: Selma Blair mourns Hayden Panettiere's death in devastating post

Hayden Panettiere has made multiple headlines recently, as news of her unexpected passing has left fans and fellow stars devastated. Selma Blair was among the first to react, posting a series of grief-stricken comments under a photo Panettiere had shared on July 27. Blair, who had been friends with the actress, wrote

"I love you. Don't be gone. Don't be gone. Please. Please."

The Legally Blonde actress returned eleven minutes later under the same photo, adding

"I love you whale tail my friend. I'm dying. Please be here."

Hayden Panettiere, who was thirty-six years old, had been open throughout her career about her personal battles, including struggles with alcohol and postpartum depression.

Hayden Panettiere's father breaks his silence as cause of death remains under investigation:

Skip Panettiere, Hayden's father, broke his silence following the news of his daughter's passing. In a statement provided to NBC News through Panettiere's representative, he shared that,

"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden."

The cause and manner of death have not been confirmed. Hayden Panettiere's publicist, Kasey Kitchen, confirmed that her death was currently being investigated, sharing that,

"There's an investigation ongoing. We should know more tomorrow."

As per a statement shared by the Greenville Police Department in South Carolina, officers accompanied by EMS personnel responded to a report of an unresponsive female at around 1:50 p.m. on Sunday. Upon arrival, medical assistance was administered. Panettiere was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The police statement further confirmed that the case was being investigated jointly by the Greenville Police Department and the Greenville County Coroner's Office, adding that the preliminary investigation had not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. An acquaintance of Panettiere had placed the 911 call. No further details were made available at the time.

Hayden Panettiere's former co-stars share emotional tributes following her unexpected passing:

David Arquette posted first. The Scream 4 actor dropped a comment under one of Panettiere's photos, calling her a "brave and beautiful soul" and keeping it simple.

"I love you Hayden," he wrote, before sending his love to her family separately via his Stories.

Melissa Barrera kept it short too. The Scream VI co-star posted on her Story,

"Rest in peace sweet Hayden."

Bethany Joy Lenz went longer. The One Tree Hill actress had known Hayden Panettiere from their days together on Guiding Light and wasn't holding anything back. She described her as a "wild little blonde" and said she was "crushed." What followed was one of the more vivid tributes posted.

"She ran through the Screen Gem studio hallways at 222 E44th St. laughing and playing games in between blocking and camera rehearsals. Long, unruly curls trailing behind her. She knew her lines and everyone else's. Her intelligence was astonishing. She understood scenes and nuance and human struggle like no child I'd ever seen on camera."

Lenz kept going.

"And she'd sit with you for a great conversation, then giggle and go play. We'd connect on and off over the years, like the cousin in the family reunion who got famous and life moved her away, but I always felt such joy seeing her when we were lucky enough to cross paths," she shared.

She ended it there with no clean resolution, because there wasn't one.

"I don't understand how this is real. Everything seemed to be turning around. She was coming BACK to life, wasn't she? It's too young and there's still so much more life. And her daughter, [Kaya]. Hayden, you are surround[ed] by love. I'm sorry for every moment I didn't reach out or check in. This can't be real."

Hayden Panettiere had spoken openly about sobriety and addiction:

Panettiere's death comes just months after her memoir, This is Me: A Reckoning, landed on the New York Times bestseller list. The book touched on a battle with addiction that had started young. She was fifteen when it began, taking what she described as "happy pills" to come across as more "peppy" during interviews.

Things got harder after her daughter Kaya was born in 2014. The postpartum depression that followed made the addiction worse. It was a difficult stretch that she had been candid about publicly for years.

By 2022 though, Hayden Panettiere said she was sober. She opened up to People at the time, making clear it wasn't something she took lightly.

"It's an everyday battle," she said.

"It's an everyday choice, and I'm checking in with myself all the time," she continued.

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She didn't stop there.

"But I'm just so grateful to be part of this world again, and I will never take it for granted again," Panettiere added.

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