Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36. The news was confirmed by her father, who released a statement announcing her death.

“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. We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss” he said.

According to police in Greenville, South Carolina, officers responded to a report of an unresponsive woman at around 1:50 p.m. on Sunday. Emergency medical personnel arrived at the scene and provided medical assistance, but Panettiere was later pronounced dead. While the actress’s cause of death has not been formally released by her family, authorities have described it as a “possible overdose.”

Photo: Getty Images

Born on August 19, 1989, Panettiere spent most of her life in front of the camera, she entered the entertainment industry as a baby. She began modeling at just eight months old and appeared in her first commercial, a Playskool toy train advertisement, at 11 months.

By the age of four, she had landed a major acting role as Sarah Roberts on the soap opera One Life to Live. She also appeared in several television commercials, including her role as Lizzie Spaulding in Guiding Light.

Her career continued growing as she moved into both film and voice acting. She voiced Dot in the Disney-Pixar animated film A Bug’s Life and later appeared in Remember the Titans at the age of 10, playing the daughter of the character portrayed by Denzel Washington.

Her performances earned her early recognition, winning a Young Artist Award for her role in Remember the Titans, while her work in A Bug’s Life also earned her a Grammy nomination.

Although, Panettiere later revealed that growing up in the spotlight came at a cost. In her autobiography, This Is Me, which was published earlier this year, she said “From a very young age, I lost the chance to have a normal childhood, friends, relationships, and my privacy,” she wrote.

Photo: Getty Images

Over the next three decades, Panettiere built an impressive career in television and film. She appeared in popular television shows such as Ally McBeal and Malcolm in the Middle, while also starring in films including Tiger Cruise, Ice Princess, and Bring It On: All or Nothing. One of her breakthroughs came in 2006 when she landed one of the lead roles in NBC’s Heroes. She played Claire Bennet, a high school cheerleader with the ability to heal herself.

Following the finale of Heroes in 2010, she starred in Scream 4 in 2011 and later returned to reprise the role in Scream VI. From 2012 to 2018, she starred alongside Connie Britton in all six seasons of the musical drama series Nashville. Her final film role was reportedly in Sleepwalker.

Outside of television and film, Panettiere also worked in the gaming industry. She voiced Kairi in the 2002 video game Kingdom Hearts, a collaboration between Disney and Japanese video game developer Square Enix.

Photo: Getty Images

In December 2014, the actress became a mother after welcoming her daughter, Kaya, with her then-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko. The former couple raised their daughter together during her early years, but in 2018, Panettiere transferred custody to her former partner.

During an appearance on Jay Shetty’s podcast, she addressed claims that she “gave away” her daughter. At the time, she was seeking treatment for alcoholism, substance abuse, and postpartum depression.

In 2022, she spoke openly to People about her struggles with opioid addiction and alcohol. “I was on top of the world and I ruined it,” she said. She also described battling addiction, depression, and postpartum depression, explaining that she believed she had reached rock bottom before realizing there were still more challenges ahead. Despite the difficulties she faced, she said she did not regret her journey.

“I put a lot of work into myself, and I have to be willing to be incredibly honest. There were a lot of ups and downs, but I don’t regret even the ugliest things that have happened to me,” she said.

Panettiere is survived by her parents and her daughter, Kaya.

Selena Gomez is facing a lawsuit from five investors who backed Wondermind Global, the mental health company she co-founded with her mother, Mandy Teefey, and entrepreneur Daniella Pierson.

The investors are seeking to recover about $1.2 million they say they put into the business, along with damages and legal costs. The lawsuit alleges that Gomez and the other founders made commitments about the company’s plans and operations that were not fulfilled.

A central allegation concerns Gomez’s role in Wondermind’s development. According to the complaint, investors were told she would be “actively building” the company as its head of marketing. The claim further alleges that Gomez signed an agreement to perform those duties but later failed to do so.

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The investors also allege that Wondermind was presented as having several revenue-generating initiatives in development, including advertising partnerships, celebrity cover stories and a mobile app. The complaint also alleges that investors were told Wondermind had secured institutional partnerships with JPMorgan and Fidelity, which were expected to generate advertising revenue. According to the lawsuit, none of those initiatives or partnerships materialised.

Wondermind was founded in 2021 with the goal of making mental health and wellness content more accessible. Gomez had already spoken publicly about her own experiences with mental health.

The investors claim Wondermind struggled financially and eventually failed to meet basic business obligations, including paying employees and vendors on time. They also allege that they were not properly informed about the company’s financial and operational problems.

According to the complaint, the investors only became aware of the extent of Wondermind’s difficulties after September 2025 investigation by The Cut examined the company’s finances and management.

Photo: Getty images

After learning about Wondermind’s financial and operational problems, the investors allegedly demanded that their money be returned. According to the lawsuit, Teefey told them that the funds would be placed in an escrow account for repayment, but the money was never returned. The investors say their attempts to obtain repayment and further information eventually went unanswered, leaving them to seek the return of their investments through the lawsuit.

Gomez remains listed as a co-founder on Wondermind’s website, while her mother now serves as chief executive following Pierson’s departure from the company.

The lawsuit does not establish that the allegations are true. Gomez and Wondermind have been contacted for comment, but neither had responded at the time of publication.

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Travis Kelce has spoken publicly about his wedding to Taylor Swift for the first time, calling the celebration at Madison Square Garden the “best night of my life.”

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end made the comment on August 12 while speaking with reporters at the team’s training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri. Asked about his offseason, Kelce reflected on the wedding before turning his attention to the upcoming NFL season.

“It was a fun offseason, man,” he said. “Wedding was the best night of my life, and I appreciate everybody who came out and celebrated and had fun with us.”

Photo: GC Images

Kelce also described the occasion as “a crazy night” and said he appreciated everyone who attended and celebrated with the couple. He then made it clear that his focus had shifted back to football.

Kelce and Swift married on July 3 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The wedding was attended by around 1,000 guests, including friends, family members and notable figures from the worlds of music, film and sports.

The ceremony was officiated by Adam Sandler, while Stevie Nicks was among the performers at the celebration. Other reported guests included Selena Gomez, Sabrina Carpenter and a number of Kelce’s NFL connections.

Photo: GC Images

The wedding followed a rehearsal dinner held at Madison Square Garden the night before. The couple kept the celebration private, with guests subject to strict security and confidentiality measures.

Swift and Kelce’s wedding came after their relationship began in 2023. They announced their engagement in August 2025 before marrying less than a year later.

While the wedding was a major part of his offseason, Kelce is now back with the Chiefs preparing for the 2026 NFL season. When asked about what comes next, he brought the conversation back to football: “But it’s football, baby.”