After hitting it big in the “Spy Kids” movie franchise, Alexa PenaVega knows all to well the trappings of child stardom, especially among those who skyrocketed to fame in the 90s and early 2000s. After hearing about Hayden Panettiere’s death at 36, the Hallmark Channel alum penned a heartfelt social media tribute to her and other child actors gone too soon.
PenaVega has managed to navigate a successful career as an adult, from her Great American Family and Lifetime movies to competing on season 21 of “Dancing With the Stars.” But the paths of many of her peers have ended in tragedy, including Panettiere, who was in grade school when she landed roles on soap operas “One Life to Live” and “Guiding Light,” and as the spunky daughter in “Remember The Titans.”
Alexa PenaVega Says Being a Child Star Was ‘Incredibly Hard’ at Times
GettyOn August 17, 2026, PenaVega posted a tribute to Panettiere and her “Ice Princess” co-star Michelle Trachtenburg, who died in 2025 at age 39, as well as “Lilo & Stitch” actress Daveigh Leigh, who died at age 35 in June.
Written in white text on a black background, PenaVega’s message began, “Hayden, Michelle, Daveigh…my heart is heavy today.”
“These aren’t just names from my childhood,” she continued. “They’re girls I grew up alongside, sharing a world that was exciting and also incredibly hard. We were kids navigating something so big, and not everyone had the foundation or support they deserved.”
PenaVega, who captioned her post with a broken heart emoji, concluded, “Today, I am grieving and holding their families close in my prayers and thinking of everyone still fighting battles we can’t see. Hug your people close today.”
Growing up in the public eye, from roles in multiple 90s shows and movies to the launch of “Spy Kids” in 2001, was full of pitfalls, but PenaVega has credited her mom with steering her clear of danger. In 2020, PenaVega told People, that many of the “horror stories” about child stardom occurred when families “split up.”
“When you don’t have the parent actually raising the kids, it’s whoever they’re around that actually ends up influencing them and raising them,” she said.
That was reportedly the case for Panettiere, who cut professional ties with her mom, soap opera actress Lesley Vogel, in 2020. Vogel denied the stories her daughter shared about their challenging relationship in her May 2026 memoir.
Panettiere then issued a statement to Entertainment Weekly that said, “When people ask me about the relationship, if there’s any hope for the future, I always say that I leave that door cracked open in case because who doesn’t want a relationship with their mother? You pray for it and you hope it eventually comes, but she slammed that door pretty hard in my face.”
Fans & Friends Flooded Alexa PenaVega’s Post With Reactions
HallmarkPenaVega, who is married to another former child star, Carlos PenaVega of Nickelodeon’s “Big Time Rush,” struck a nerve with her thoughtful message. Her post drew over 50,000 likes in less than two hours, and thousands of comments from fans and famous friends.
Disney Channel alum Daniella Monet wrote, “I feel this deeply. ❤️” Soap star Ashley Aubra Jones replied, “just devastated.”
Many fans expressed how saddened they were by the news, too, including one who wrote, “My heart hurts for them all. Praying for Hayden’s family. And for you.”
Hundreds liked another comment that said, “It’s hard knowing they were our age and we grew up with them. Very surreal and hard to believe”
