Hayden Panettiere, a beloved figure in the country music community due to her role as a country star Juliette Barnes in the hit TV series, Nashville, has died at the age of 36.

In a statement shared with ABC News, Panettiere's father, Skip, has confirmed the news, “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”.

Skip went on to ask fans for privacy “as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss”. Police in Greenville, South Carolina have released a statement sharing that an acquaintance of Panettiere's placed a 911 call and emergency services responded, but were ultimately unable to save the New York native.

While no cause of death has been given at the time of writing, the Greenville Police Department have stated that there are no preliminary indications of “foul play or suspicious circumstances”, underlining, “The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner's Office. The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. An acquaintance of Ms. Panettiere placed the 911 call”.

Panettiere earned two Golden Globes from her role as Juliette on Nashville, as well as securing an array of hit songs on the Billboard country charts, such as ‘Wrong Song’ and ‘Undermine’ with her co-stars Connie Britton and Charles Esten respectively.

Earlier in 2026, Panettiere released her deeply personal memoir, This is Me: A Reckoning, in which she opened up about her experiences with postpartum depression and addiction. Panettiere also touches on the death of her brother Jansen in 2023, and losing custody of her daughter, Kaya, who she shares with Wladimir Klitschko.

As Panettiere noted in recent interviews around the book's release, a number of her personal struggles ended up mirroring some of her Nashville story-lines, with her on-screen character, Juliette, also struggling with postpartum depression and addiction.

Panettiere remains a hugely admired and respected figure in the country world and beyond, with Panettiere also starring in Heroes, Remember the Titans, Raising Helen and more. Tributes continue to flood in from colleagues and fans, with Selma Blair, Shaun Ross and more using Panettiere's latest Instagram post to offer their condolences.