What Hayden Panettiere Said About Her Mental Health Before Her Death at 36

Hayden Panettiere openly discussed her mental health struggles before her death.

In a statement to ABC News on August 16, a representative for Panettiere confirmed the actress had died at the age of 36.

"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," the spokesperson shared.

The Scream actress' father, Skip Panettiere, asked for privacy as the family "takes time to process this unimaginable loss."

On December 9, 2014, the Heroes actress welcomed her daughter, Kaya Klitschko, with her then-fiancé, professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko.

A few months later, she appeared in a September 2015 episode of Live With Kelly and Michael and discussed experiencing postpartum depression after becoming a mom.

"It's something I think that needs to be talked about. Women need to know that they're not alone," said Hayden, later adding, "There's a lot of misunderstanding. Something that's completely uncontrollable and its really painful and it's scary. Women need a lot of support."

The following month, ABC News confirmed she was voluntarily seeking professional help at a treatment center for her post-baby struggles.

"She asks that the media respect her privacy during this time," her representative added.

In a May 2016 post on X, then-Twitter, Hayden announced she was seeking treatment again in Utah to "reflect holistically" on her health and life.

"The postpartum depression I have been experiencing has impacted every aspect of my life," she wrote. "Rather than stay stuck due to unhealthy coping mechanisms I have chosen to take time to reflect holistically on my health and life. Wish me luck!"

Nearly a year after seeking treatment for postpartum depression a second time, she shared on Good Morning America she was a "better mom" because "you never take that connection for granted."

Hayden said her character on Nashville, who also struggled with the same issue, "absolutely helped" her.

She continued, "I think it helped me identify what was going on. And to let women know that it's OK to ask for help and it's OK to have a moment of weakness. It doesn't make you a bad person, doesn't make you a bad mother. It makes you a very strong, resilient woman. You've just got to let it make you stronger."

In addition to postpartum depression, Hayden also had a devastating bout with alcohol and opioid addiction.

"I was on top of the world and I ruined it," the Nashville alum told People in July 2022. "I'd think I hit rock bottom, but then there's that trap door that opens."

Determined to get help, she expressed, "This hasn't been easy and there were a lot of ups and downs. But I don't regret even the ugliest things that have happened to me. I feel incredibly accomplished. And I feel like I have a second chance."

In the same July 2022 issue of People, Hayden reflected at her lowest points where he would have "the shakes when [she] wore up and could only function with sipping alcohol."

"It was the hardest thing I ever had to do," she added. "But I wanted to be a good mom to her — and sometimes that means letting them go."

It mirrored what she shared during her Red Table Talk interview in September 2022, with the Heroes star detailing what she considered her "rock bottom."

"I remember when I finally called for help I was in a fetal position in bed, couldn't get out, in tears all the time. Even though I knew I had to stop, I couldn't," Hayden said.

Her drinking had taken such a serious toll on her health that she developed jaundice, prompting her doctor to warn that continued alcohol use could lead to irreversible liver damage.

The possibility of needing a transplant terrified her.

"I looked up liver transplant and it said that they only give you five years," she recalled.

Facing what felt like "a death sentence" and the possibility of having "only five years to live" was, she said, "terrifying."

After battling postpartum depression, Hayden shared what she wished she had known beforehand.

"I wish somebody told me that that was a possibility, told me it's OK if you birth your child and you're not immediately like, 'Oh my god, I love you more than anything in the entire world!'" she said. "I just thought there was something seriously wrong with me, so I thought, 'Fireball will fix this — duh!' And it didn't. It does for a moment, but then it makes everything worse."

In her first interview after her brother Jansen Panettiere's death, Hayden got emotional while reflecting on losing her "only sibling" and the responsibility she felt to protect him.

"When I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul," she admitted.

In the aftermath of Jansen's death, the former child star increasingly withdrew from the outside world. Her grief also took a physical toll, with Hayden experiencing weight gain she attributed to stress and cortisol.

"I didn't feel confident to put on clothes and get out of the house, but I also knew that I needed to get out and keep moving or I'd never stop looking and feeling this way," she explained to People. "It became a destructive hamster wheel of, do I feel good enough to go out?"

Hayden fueled concern after a viral clip from her People interview led some fans to speculate she had relapsed due to what they described as "slurred speech." She immediately shut down the speculation and explained that a lack of sleep was behind her demeanor.

"I was exhausted," she clarified in a September 2024 Instagram update. "My rep stopped the interview early as it became obvious that I was fading — especially as the subject matter became heavier."

Marking the second anniversary of Jansen's death, Hayden penned a heartbreaking message about pain on Instagram.

"2 years ago today, I lost my little brother," she wrote on the platform. "This amazing human being touched the lives of so many. Especially mine. The pain isn't quantifiable. I pray you're in a beautiful place J. That you're at peace and that when all is said and done…I'll see you again. Rest easy brother. You are so missed and beyond loved. 💜."

In her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, Hayden wrote about how her traumatic childbirth experience was followed by a spiral into alcoholism. She disclosed her struggles with addiction not only forced Nashville producers to temporarily write her character out of the show but also cost her another job.

"My fans and the press were hugely sympathetic — and I'll always be grateful for that — but a part of my career I'd come to depend on suffered," she wrote, adding, "Neutrogena canceled my long-standing contract, and it was yet another blow in a year that had given almost nothing else."

By Nashville Season 4, Hayden reportedly noticed an unsettling similarity between her real-life struggles and the storyline playing out on screen.

"Juliette Barnes [Hayden's character] had postpartum depression, an alcohol and pill problem, and a divorce on the horizon. She was erratic, an absentee mother, and fought with everyone — including her fans," she pointed out. "Every time I read the day's script, it was like I was looking in a fun-house mirror, seeing a distorted reflection of myself. I can't tell you how lost this made me feel. On every show, commercial, and movie I'd done, I could draw a line between my character and myself. Now, at work, I didn't fall into another world that was distinct from my own. I dove headfirst into my own h---."

At the time, she was struggling with "debilitating anxiety" and an addiction she felt unable to escape.

"I had to live through it twice," she said — first in her personal life as Hayden, and then before millions of viewers as Juliette. "Something had to give, and I was afraid it was going to be me."

In one of her final interviews before her death, Hayden reflected candidly on the highs and lows of her career, opened up about the personal battles she had endured and offered words of encouragement to others facing difficult times.

"I'm a work in progress — we all are. I take each day as it comes. I'm doing the work, and I'm doing my best," she told Momé for the magazine's July cover.