Hayden Panettiere passes away at age 36

Hayden Panettiere has died. She was 36 years old.

Her father, Skip Panettiere, shared the news in a brief statement.

"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden," he penned.

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.

He asked for privacy "as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss".

Further details surrounding Panettiere's death have not been shared.

Beginning as a child star, with a long career in both TV and film, Panettiere is remembered for her roles as Claire Bennet on the hit series Heroes, and later as Juliette Barnes on the musical drama Nashville.

She also starred in Remember the Titans, Raising Helen, Scream 4, and I Love You, Beth Cooper.

Panettiere has been candid about her struggles from child stardom through adulthood. She released a memoir in May titled This Is Me: A Reckoning.

The book detailed the highs and lows of fame, her past relationships and her struggles with postpartum depression and addiction.

Ahead of the memoir's release, her mother and former manager, Lesley Vogel, released a scathing public statement accusing her daughter of a "need for control, entitlement and a lack of empathy".

The actor is survived by her daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, who is 11.