Hollywood actress, Hayden Panettiere, star of movies like ‘Heroes’ and ‘ Nashville ‘, has passed away, according to ABC News.
Skip Panettiere, the actress’s father and representative, confirmed her death after he described the deceased actress as “an incredible light and a force of nature who brought joy to those who knew and watched her on-screen”.
“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 on-screen,” the statement reads.
Although the cause of her death was not revealed, it was disclosed that the actress had died at the age of 36.
She is survived by her daughter named Kaya.
Panettiere, in her memoir titled ‘This Is Me: A Reckoning’ released this year, detailed how she battled postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter.
The actress spoke about becoming addicted to alcohol to fight her depression, as she reflected on coming to terms with her personal life amid public attention.
“One swig of Fireball burned my throat, then sent heat down my chest, into my arms, and through my torso. My shoulders relaxed, and my heart swelled as I welcomed the bliss, then the nothingness,” an excerpt from the book reads.
“Addicts aren’t patient people. We want and need instant relief. The second I felt that burn, the anxiety I’d felt since my daughter’s birth was gone!”
Panettiere rose to prominence as a child actress before becoming more popular on television and in film.
She played a superhero in the series ‘Heroes’, the high-school film ‘Remember the Titans’, and the TV drama ‘Nashville’.
“When I had my daughter, I knew things were terribly wrong. I never experienced any negativity towards my child. I was full of stress and anxiety all the time. And what I was doing to suppress that stress at the time was not normal. I was in tears all the time. No one ever said anything about postpartum depression around me,” she said in an interview.
“I was treated for alcoholism. But no one treated me for postpartum, and I felt unfixable.”