Beloved actress Selma Blair was left heartbroken after the passing of Hayden Panettiere, as she shared a gut-wrenching tribute to the late star.
“I love you. Don’t be gone. Don’t be gone . Please. Please,” Blair —who competed on season 31 of “Dancing With the Stars” — commented on Panettiere’s final Instagram post. “I love you whale tail my friend.”
Hayden Panettiere’s Death
Just days before her 37th birthday, news broke that the “Remember the Titans” star had passed away.
“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,” her father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement to ABC News.
He went on to ask for privacy “as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
While her cause of death has not yet been revealed, TMZ reported that an investigation is underway.
“Law enforcement sources confirm police responded to an incident involving Hayden Sunday and there is currently an open investigation,” the outlet shared on Sunday.
The “Ice Princess” actress previously opened up about her battles with opioid addiction and postpartum depression.
“I’d think I hit rock bottom, but then there’s that trap door that opens,” she told People in 2022. “I put a lot of work into myself and I had to be willing to be incredibly honest.”
In her incredibly vulnerable memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning” — which was released in May 2026 — she detailed her postpartum depression battle after the birth of her only child, daughter Kaya.
“I wasn’t OK,” she explained. “I had to figure out how to bond with her. It felt like an insurmountable task, and I was only on the first day…It wasn’t panic that was sitting in my chest. It was nothing. A total blackout of emotion, like my soul was dead.”
Panettiere shared her 11-year-old daughter with ex Wladimir Klitschko.
In 2018, the “Nashville” actress — known for songs like “Wake Up Call” and “Telescope” — agreed to sign over primary and full custody of her daughter to the former professional boxer, who resides in Ukraine.
“I said, ‘You know what? Let her grow up here,'” she explained. “I will travel here as much as I can. I know she’s safe. I know she’s well taken care of — beyond well taken care of. She has an incredible life. And I also knew that there would be a day when she would come back to me.”
More Tributes Pour In
As news of her death began to spread, friends and fans begged for the reports to be wrong.
“Praying the news is wrong! You are such a bright light and soooo loved!!!!❤️” “7th Heaven” star Beverley Mitchell wrote.
“This can’t be real, I don’t believe this, I’m truly heartbroken and shocked of this devastating news. You will always be beautiful, inside and out, and you will never be forgotten. I’m going to miss you so much. May the angels guide you through the sky and may you finally rest peacefully. Fly high, Hayden. 🕊️💔” one fan mourned.
“This can’t be real. I need this nightmare to end. Sweet, sweet Hayden, I can’t even put into words how much shock I’m in right now,” another wrote.
