Hayden Panettiere, the original Lizzie Spaulding of Guiding Light, and one of the leading stars of ABC’s country music drama Nashville, has died at the age of 36. According to a report on Sunday night, August 16 from TMZ, who broke the news of Hayden’s passing. Panettiere was also well-known for her role in the primetime series Heroes.

Sources close to the situation have told the outlet that Panettiere died on Sunday morning, although details of her death are still undisclosed, there is a current ongoing investigation into the matter. Brian Hickerson’s, Panetierre’s on-again off-again boyfriend and her flew from Los Angeles to South Carolina on Saturday. They reported, it’s a “sad situation.”

Meanwhile, the actress’ father, Skip Panettiere offered a up this statement to ABC News. “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 asked for privacy “as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”

Photo: CBS

FROM HER EARLY YEARS ON ONE LIFE TO LIVE AND GUIDING LIGHT TO HEROES AND NASHVILLE

Panettiere began her career at a very young age with roles on television and film including her Daytime Emmy-nominated role as the original Lizzie Spaulding, the daughter of Phillip (Grant Aleksander) and Beth Raines (Beth Chamberlin) on CBS’ Guiding Light. It’s a part she played from December 1996 until 2000. Before Guiding Light, Hayden also appeared on ABC’s One Life to Live as Sarah Roberts, the daughter of Cord (John Loprieno) and Tina Lord Roberts (then played by Krista Tesreau) from 1994-1997, and right up until she left to go to Guiding Light.

In primetime, Panettiere is remembered for her roles as Claire Bennet on the hit series Heroes (2006-2010) and as Juliette Barnes on the musical drama Nashville where she starred opposite General Hospital alum, Jonathan Jackson’s (ex-Lucky) role of Avery Barkley. Nashville ran for six seasons on ABC and them moved over to CMT for two final seasons (2012-2018).

In films, Hayden also starred in: Remember the Titans (2000), Raising Helen (2004), Ice Princess (2005) and as Kirby Reed in three ‘Scream’ franchise films including: Scream 4 (2011), and cameos in its sequel Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023), to name but a few.

Throughout her career, Panettiere earned Golden Globes, Critics Choice Television Awards, Teen Choice Awards and People’s Choice Awards for her role in Nashville. Her performance in Heroes landed her Teen Choice nomination and a Young Artist Award. She also won a Young Artist Award for her role in Remember the Titans.

Courtesy/ABC

HAYDEN PANETTIERE RELEASED MEMOIR EARLIER IN 2026

Back on May 19, 2026, Hayden released a memoir titled This Is Me: A Reckoning, which talked about her struggles from childhood to adulthood in front of the camera and off including her battles with alcohol and pill addiction, postpartum depression and more.

Sadly, Hayden’s brother Jansen Panettiere, died suddenly back in February 2023 from cardiomegaly (enlarged heart) coupled with aortic valve complications. He was only 28 at the time of his death. Hayden told PEOPLE that she would never be able to get over her brother’s death, citing, “No matter how many years go by, I will never get over his loss.”

Panettiere is the mother to one child, her daughter Kaya Klitschko, 11, whom she had in December of 2014 with her ex-fiancé, heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.

This is a developing story and Michael Fairman TV will provide updated information and details on the passing of Hayden Panettiere as they become available.

Now below, share your thoughts and prayers to the Panettiere family and your remembrances of Hayden via the comment section below.

The former Michael Corinthos of General Hospital, Chad Duell, will participate in a livestream chat to discuss his new foray into music, his time on the ABC soap opera and much more. Circle, Wednesday, August 19 beginning at 7pm ET/4pm PT, when Chad visits You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

Recently, Duell has launched a new side of himself under the musical name “Duelly” and has released two EDM-style tracks. The most recent, Static in the Quiet Room which dropped in August, and previously If You Need Me which dropped in June. In his new musical venture, Chad is said to primarily be the songwriter, producer and pianist on his tracks.

Previously, Chad stepped away from his Daytime Emmy-winning role as Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Carly’s (Laura Wright) son after a nearly 15-year run. A decision he made towards the end of 2024. Viewers last saw his version of Michael on the January 21, 2025 episode where Michael was recovering from severe burns and injuries suffered in the penthouse explosion at Sonny’s. The character was recast with Rory Gibson, who debuted at the end of May 2025 during the GH Nurses’ Ball.

Photo: JPI

CHAD ON DECISION TO STEP AWAY FROM GENERAL HOSPITAL

Chad has previously sat down for a conversation on The Able Show seven months ago, where he doubled-down on his decision to walk away from General Hospital when he did. Duell explained, “I’m blessed to be part of that (show) for as long as I have. But what happens sometimes is if you’re doing the same thing, especially in a creative field for such a long time, you can get a little burnt out in a way. It can make you a little depressed, so that’s kind of what happened.”

Sadly, Duell suffered the devastating loss of his beloved father in 2024, which also was very difficult for him as he detailed, sharing, “On top of that, I had other things going on in my life at the time. My father passed away recently and I just needed a reset. So, I stepped away. A lot of times you have to go through some stuff to really step into that next level. I needed to kind of feel uncomfortable.”

Photo: CDuellIG

BEING A DAD TO SON DAWSON

In addition, after exiting General Hospital, Chad had been busy raising his young son, Dawson who will be 3 on August 30, along with his partner, Luana Lucci, while continue his aspirations of putting out music and continuing his acting.

If you have a question, you would like posed to Chad during the live broadcast, but cannot be with us on Wednesday, drop it in the comment section below and we just might ask in live on the air! For upcoming celebrity features, livestreams and special event coverage make sure to “subscribe” to the Michael Fairman Channel.

So, would you like to see Chad find success with his music, return to the soaps on another show in a new role? If so, where? Let us know via the comment section.

Before Don Diamont was The Bold and the Beautiful’s Dollar Bill Spencer, or even The Young and the Restless’ Brad Carlton, he started his over four decades in soap operas over in Salem on Days of Our Lives as Carlo Forenza from 1984-1985. Now Diamont will talk about it all, when he is the special guest on the newest edition of Soapy Hosted by Rebecca Budig (Taylor, B&B) and Greg Rikaart (Leo, DAYS) dropping this coming Tuesday, August 18.

In this exclusive preview clip from Michael Fairman TV, Diamont recalls his humble beginnings at DAYS were pretty rocky, especially butting heads with then executive producer Al Rabin.

In story, Carlo was connected to the mob, and eventually was the business manager and friend to Liz Chandler (Gloria Loring). Liz was married to Dr. Neil Curtis (Joe Gallison), and became stranded on a deserted island with Carlo. Neil thought they had an affair, but then one night Carlo took advantage of Liz. Eventually Neil Curtis, accidentally shoots and kills Carlo with Carlo’s own gun during a mob confrontation (Neil had ties to the mob too).

Credit: Ralph Dominguez/MediaPunch

ENTRY INTO SALEM GONE WRONG

Recalling his audition and first day on the set at DAYS, Diamont shared, “They’d gone through hundreds of people and they couldn’t find the guy to play this part, Carlo Forenza. I end up getting it. I go through the screen test and the whole bit. So, my first day, Al Rabin, the executive producer at the time, wanted to sit down and talk to me before I started shooting. I thought, ‘great.’ Now, I am beyond green at this point, and in our conversation, I asked him about publicity.”

Diamont says from there, things took a nosedive between the novice actor and the longtime producer: “That didn’t really sit well with him. I thought, ‘you’re the executive producer, you’re the person to ask.’ I probably should have talked to my agent before then about it, but I didn’t. So, Al said, ‘How about we just learn what we’re doing here first and then you can worry about that.”

In the moment, Don had a realization: “I think that kind of rubbed him the wrong way. Understandably. Fair enough. On my first day on the set, my character was being introduced in a party scene. So, all the stars of the show were on the set. I was very nervous. I walk in, and say whatever my lines are, and they stop tape. Al comes out of the booth onto the set, and calls me off the set about this. I will never forget it. He said, ‘I can take an actor who’s nervous. I can’t take an actor without energy. Get it together!”

GLORIA LORING ON WHAT HER RELATIONSHIP WITH DON DIAMONT MEANT TO HER

Days of Our Lives fans will recall that Gloria Loring and Don Diamont were also a couple in real-life for awhile. Loring told Michael Fairman TV back in 2012, that they were together for three years after her marriage to Alan Thicke fell apart, expressing, “Don came into my life and treated me with such kindness and respect, and paid attention to everything I was thinking or doing.”

Gloria added,”Don is a really nice man, and family is number one with him. He has really great qualities. I have been very blessed to have him and others in my life.  When we parted, because he knew he had to go off and have a family of his own, because family was so important to him after the passing of his own father, I said, ‘What is the most important thing he gave me?’ I realized it was the respect and the attentiveness.I knew I had to start doing that for myself. It’s taken me a long time. I could still do better, but Don was an important person in that process.”

Photo: JPI

DON DIAMONT’S SOAP RESUME

After leaving Days of Our Lives in 1985, the late Bill Bell cast Diamont on The Young and the Restless as poolboy-turned-executive, Brad Carlton. Diamont had two runs on the soap from 1985 to 1996 and from 1998 t0 2009, before the character was killed-off. Next, Bill’s son, Brad Bell (executive producer and head writer of The Bold and the Beautiful) cast him in what would be his defining role on daytime television, that of Bill Spencer. It’s a role that he has played since 2009.

For past episodes from the ‘Soapy’ audio/video podcast series, find them via the Audacy app and the CBS brand YouTube channel. The podcast is produced by the Paramount Multiplatform Production Group, with Mike Benson serving as executive producer.

Now below, check out Don recalling his first meeting with Al Rabin, and first day on the set of Days of Our Lives when he was just 21-years-old.

Then let us know, did you watch Days of our Lives when Don played Carlo? Do you remember the Liz and Carlo storyline? What has been your favorite Don Diamont role of all-time: Carlo? Brad, or Bill? Let us know via the comment section below.