Hayden Panettiere: Celebrities Pay Tribute to Late ‘Nashville’ Star

(UPI) — Celebrities are paying tribute to late Heroes and Nashville star Hayden Panettiere.

David Arquette, Viola Davis, Bethany Joy Lenz, Kelly Osbourne and other stars honored the actress on social media following news of her death. Panettiere died Sunday at age 36.

Arquette, who starred with Panettiere in Scream 4, voiced his love for the actress on Instagram, writing, “I love you Hayden” with a broken heart and dove emoji.

Davis reflected on working with Panettiere on the 2006 film The Architect, also featuring her husband, actor Julius Tennon, and the 2016 movie Custody.

“What an amazing talent you were….so gifted. Julius and I loved working you….an old, wise soul with such a deep heart. I wish the world had more time with you because I had a burning curiosity about who you were becoming. I saw this beautiful Phoenix rising from the ashes. Your tests became your testimony, and your testimony became your legacy. You will be remembered. Rest well, Hayden,” she wrote.

One Tree Hill actress Bethany Joy Lenz recalled working with a nine- or ten-year-old Panettiere on the soap opera Guiding Light when she was 18.

“I’m crushed. I knew the wild little blonde. Was she nine? Ten? I was eighteen. 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,” Lenz wrote on Instagram.

“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. And she’d sit with you for a great conversation, then giggle and go play,” she added.

In a post on Instagram Stories, Osbourne shared how she bonded with Panettiere over the difficulties of growing up in the spotlight.

“I am deeply saddened by the loss of someone who meant so much to me. We understood each other in a way few truly can — recognizing how difficult it is to grow up in the spotlight, and how isolating it can feel even when surrounded by so many people,” Osbourne said.

“My heart grieves for someone so special to this world and such a good friend to me. I will never forget you, Hayden, and I will always believe you deserved better,” she added. “Rest in peace, sweet princess. You will never be forgotten.”

Selma Blair, Rosie O’Donnell, Jeremy Renner, David Anders and were among the other stars to pay tribute to Panettiere. Jay Shetty, who spoke with Panettiere about her personal struggles on his podcast, On Purpose with Jay Shetty, in May, also honored the actress online.

Panettiere, who experienced addiction, postpartum depression, abuse, and the death of her brother Jansen in 2023, spoke with Shetty shortly before the release of her memoir, This is Me: A Reckoning. The actress is survived by her parents and Kaya, her 11-year-old daughter with her ex-fiance, retired Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko.