Hayden Panettiere, actress known for “Heroes” and “Remember the Titans,” dies at 36

Hayden Panettiere, who starred in “Remember the Titans” as a child actor and rose to fame in the sci-fi series “Heroes,” has died at the age of 36, her representative confirmed to CBS News.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” Panettiere’s father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement through the rep. “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.”

Details surrounding Panettiere’s death were not released.

The actress’s career spanned more than three decades, starring in both movies and television, including in the “Scream” horror film series and the TV drama “Nashville.”

In recent months, Panettiere spoke publicly about the struggles of life in the spotlight as a young actor. She released her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” in May, detailing her childhood and her experiences with addiction, physical abuse and her recovery.

“When your mother has chosen to take the 8-month-old baby into those audition rooms, and it went from there and progressed into 50 commercials by the time I was 5 … It just never stopped,” the Golden Globe-nominated actor told CBS News’ Gayle King in May. “I didn’t care about anybody’s opinion but my mom’s, because I knew that if she was unhappy with my performance in any way, that the rest of the day was gonna be ruined.”

In October 2015, Panettiere entered a treatment facility to help with postpartum depression after giving birth to her first child in December 2014.

Panettiere gave full primary custody of her daughter, Kaya, to her ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko in 2018.

John Filippelli contributed to this report.