Hayden Panettiere dies at 36, family says

Hayden Panettiere, the former child star actress known for “Heroes” and “Nashville,” has died aged 36, her father said in a statement to ABC News.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” he said. Details about her death were not immediately made public. She was found unresponsive on Sunday at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina.

Panettiere, born in 1989, appeared in commercials as an infant and later acted in films and TV shows including “Remember The Titans,” “Ice Princess,” “Scream 4” and “Scream VI.” She received a Grammy nomination as a child for voicing Princess Dot in the 1998 film “A Bug's Life”.

Her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” was released in May. In it, she described the pressures of child stardom and her experiences with alcohol and opioid addiction and recovery.

Actress Viola Davis, who starred with Panettiere in “Custody,” called her “an old, wise soul with such a deep heart” in an Instagram tribute. Podcaster Jay Shetty, who interviewed Panettiere in May, said he was in “disbelief”.

Panettiere had a daughter with Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko in 2014. In an interview published last month, she said a painful and dangerous birth left her depressed and led her to turn to alcohol. She said she gave custody of her daughter to Klitschko so she could get help.