Taylor Swift is reportedly among those quietly mourning Hayden Panettiere, as details of the two stars’ once-close Nashville connection resurface following Panettiere’s death. Panettiere’s family confirmed her death on Sunday, August 16.
Page Six reported on Friday, August 21, that Swift was shocked by the news and had remained on friendly terms with Panettiere ever since the two lived in the same Nashville apartment building years earlier.
“Taylor was obviously really shocked when she heard about Hayden’s passing. She was deeply saddened to hear what happened.”, a source told the outlet.
How Did Taylor Swift and Hayden Panettiere Become Nashville Neighbors?
Swift purchased a penthouse at The Adelicia in Nashville in 2009, according to a Business Insider report. Panettiere later moved into the same complex in 2012 while filming ABC’s “Nashville.”
“Taylor and Hayden were always friendly with each other and had a really nice rapport,” the insider told Page Six. “They lived in the same apartment complex in Nashville for a while and would cross paths from time to time.”
The source said Swift and Panettiere continued crossing paths at events long after their days as neighbors ended, and “always got along really well.”
“Hayden always spoke very highly of Taylor and was supportive of her, and there was always a mutual respect between them,” the insider added. Their bond even paid off during one of Panettiere’s songwriting sessions, when she realized she’d left her guitar behind before a session with songwriter Jessi Alexander.
Taylor Swift
“I freaked out because I didn’t have my guitar; I’d left it in my trailer,” Panettiere recalled during a 2012 appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, according to Just Jared.
“I literally texted every one of those girls: ‘Does anybody have a guitar?’ Finally, Taylor Swift came through for me. Two of her security guards brought down this guitar … I had to fill out a form. It was very intense.”
What Did Taylor Swift Say About Hayden Panettiere?
Swift publicly acknowledged their friendship that same year while promoting her album “Red.”
Asked during an interview with the Woody & Jim Show whether she watched “Nashville,” Swift revealed she and Panettiere knew each other well enough to joke about Panettiere’s character, Juliette Barnes.
“Well, Hayden is a friend of mine, and she’s my neighbor actually,” Swift said, as per Page Six. “I remember the first time I ever met her, she came up, and she was like, ‘I just need you to know, my character is not based on you.’ It was so hilarious.”
The two also crossed paths at industry events over the years, including the Teen Choice Awards on Sunday, July 22, 2012, where they were photographed together.
Panettiere died in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday, August 16, her family confirmed. Authorities responded to a South Carolina Airbnb after receiving a report of an unresponsive woman in cardiac arrest following a suspected overdose, according to US Weekly.
The report stated that “life-saving measures were administered,” but they were “unsuccessful.”An official cause and manner of death have not yet been determined. The coroner is awaiting toxicology results.
Panettiere was best known for playing Claire Bennet on Heroes and Juliette Barnes on Nashville, a role that earned her two Golden Globe nominations.
