Hilary Duff shared her heartfelt condolences Tuesday following the death of Hayden Panettiere, the former child star and “Heroes” actor who died Sunday at the age of 36 in a Greenville, South Carolina, apartment.
“Sweet Hayden,” Duff wrote on Tuesday on Instagram. “Really tough hearing this news. We lost touch through the years but I will always remember you as so hardworking and effervescent, with that big, gorgeous smile.”
She continued, “I remember staying up late, chatting and gossiping, and connecting because we were part of such a small sliver of people who actually understood the strange lot in life we were navigating.. so young, with no real idea how to make sense of any of it.”
Panettiere was found in cardiac arrest Sunday, just before she was pronounced dead at the scene. First responders arrived after a 911 call placed before 2 p.m., finding Panettiere “unresponsive,” according to a statement from the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.
The statement noted first responders “initiated advanced cardiac life support measures” but that “resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful,” and a preliminary probe into her death did not indicate any signs of “foul play of suspicious circumstances,” said police.
Panettiere is survived by her parents, Skip Panettiere and Lesley Vogel, and daughter Kaya, whom she shared with ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. Fellow actors, friends and family members have since shared heartfelt tributes to the “Nashville” star on social media.
While the cause and manner of death remain under investigation, Panettiere’s cardiac arrest was reportedly caused by an apparent overdose, a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity amid the ongoing investigation told The New York Times.
Duff wrote, “I so deeply wish this wasn’t the end for you.”
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The fellow singer-actor became a teenage Disney Channel fixture right alongside Panettiere, wrapping her final season on the channel’s popular “Lizzie McGuire” series in 2004, the same year Panettiere starred opposite Bill Pullman in the Disney Channel movie “Tiger Cruise.”
They were frequently spotted together as they navigated the later stages of their careers.
The duo attended the 2006 book launch of makeup artist Joanna Schlip and appeared close in photos from the 2007 Teen Vogue Young Hollywood party. Panettiere had also supported Duff at the release party for her “Dignity” album earlier that year.
Panettiere, who was born in 1989 in Palisades, New York, landed her first professional acting job in 1996. She went on to star in major films including “A Bug’s Life” and “Remember the Titans,” as well as the popular ABC show “Nashville,” recording several soundtrack songs.
Panettiere recently released a memoir detailing her struggles with substance abuse and domestic abuse, as well as the traumatic birth of her daughter.
Duff added in her tribute to the actor, “Sending a heart full of love to your family, the many people you impacted and everyone who loved you.”
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