Nashville actress Hayden Panettiere died on August 16, less than a week before her 37th birthday (August 21). Her representative confirmed the news to ABC News while her father, Skip Panettiere, released a statement that reads:“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. We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”The cause of death was not immediately available.The tragedy comes less than three years after her younger brother and fellow actor Jansen Panettiere’s sudden death from cardiac complications. He was 28.Besides her parents, Hayden Panettiere is survived by her only child, Kaya Klitschko. The daughter was born in 2014 to her and her ex-partner and former Ukrainian heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.Here's how Hayden Panettiere reacted to her brother’s deathJansen Panettiere died in Nyack, New York, on February 19, 2023. A week later, his family, comprising dad Skip, mother Lesley Vogel, and sister Hayden, issued a statement to ABC News:“Though it offers little solace, the Medical Examiner reported Jansen's sudden passing was due to cardiomegaly (enlarged heart), coupled with aortic valve complications. Jansen's heart could be seen in his eyes, and his charm in his brilliant, engaging smile; his soul in his masterful and revealing paintings, and the joy of life in his dry wit.”In a September 2024 interview with PEOPLE, Hayden Panettiere opened up about the huge emotional, mental, and physical toll her brother’s death took on her:“I will always be heartbroken about it. I will never be able to get over it. No matter how many years go by, I will never get over his loss… He was my only sibling, and he was my younger sibling. It was my job to protect him, and when I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul.”The siblings were seen together in two projects: the 2004 Disney Channel Original Movie Tiger Cruise and the 2011 film The Forger. An insider told Entertainment Tonight that Hayden supported Jansen through mental health struggles (anxiety and depression) and encouraged his creative pursuits, including his graffiti art. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostSpeaking further about grief with PEOPLE, Hayden Panettiere explained:“When my little brother passed away, my body did something I've never really seen it do before, which was, within days, I basically just, like, ballooned. Ballooned out. And I know that, like, stress and cortisol run through your body, you know, can do that.”She also battled agoraphobia and failed to “recognize” herself. Hayden began feeling lost and uncomfortable in her own skin and her self-confidence was all over the place after she saw “horrific” paparazzi pictures of herself, especially those clicked outside her brother’s funeral.The Heroes actress recalled eating healthy and working out but being unable to lose weight and feeling more out of control about her own body and life.“It was bringing out the agoraphobia in me as well. Which is something I've always struggled with… I didn't wanna go to fittings and look at myself in the mirror and hate everything that I saw in myself,” she explained.Hayden Panettiere mentioned wearing baggy clothes while spiralling into a “really bad, destructive hamster wheel.” Eventually, her publicist found her a personal trainer who became her “friend” and “life coach” and helped her slowly get back in shape by embracing positivity and exercise rather than the “boot camp-style” workouts she had previously experienced.“It's not easy for someone in my position to trust people, especially people I haven't known for a very long time. But she earned my trust, and I told her I would confide in her, confess everything. And she knew how to make you feel, just empowered,” the NBC star shared. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostIn the same interview, Hayden Panettiere spoke about relinquishing custody of her daughter in 2018 while battling alcohol addiction and postpartum depression, calling it a “living nightmare” and “heartbreaking.” However, as of May 2026, she was back to maintaining a healthy and co-parenting relationship with her ex and frequently visited him and their child in Ukraine.In the wake of the interview, netizens speculated that Hayden Panettiere had relapsed as she was seen “slurring” her words. However, she defended herself on social media, saying she was sleep-deprived, adding that grief looks “different” on everyone.Ahead of his passing, Jansen Panettiere appeared in the 2022 romantic movie Love and Love Not, according to IMDb. Likewise, Hayden Panettiere’s final appearance was in the 2026 psychological thriller film Sleepwalker, directed by Brandon Auman. She was also an executive producer on the project.This May, the older sibling also released her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning. It offered a rare and intimate glimpse into her life “behind closed doors,” including her trauma, recovery, and loss.