The entertainment world has been mourning the loss of Hayden Panettiere, who died on Sunday at the age of 36. Panettiere, who was so familiar to daytime drama fans in the roles of a very young Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light, also starred as an adult in the primetime music city soap opera, Nashville as country and western singer, Juliette Barnes.

Panettiere’s leading man in the series, was none other than six-time Daytime Emmy-winner, Jonathan Jackson (ex-Lucky Spencer, General Hospital) who played musician Avery Barkley.

The actress’ death is still under investigation in Greenville, South Carolina, now calling in the DEA  after the Greenville County Coroner’s Office said there was “no signs of trauma that were discovered that would have contributed to the death.” Hayden’s body was released to her family on Tuesday, August. 18. It is believed Panettiere died of an “overdose.”

Photo: ABC

WE GREW UP IN THE INDUSTRY

Jonathan Jackson took to his Instagram on Wednesday night, August 19 to share poignant words in remembrance of his Nashville co-star. “I have no words to express the loss of our beloved Hayden,” began Jackson. “She had such a bright light within her. She was a sensitive soul. Incredibly funny and witty. Amazingly gifted, with a great sense of empathy and compassion. We both grew up in the industry, although she started even younger than me, but we shared that. A silent knowing of how intense the struggles can be.”

Panetierre started in show business in 1990 at only 11-months-old, while Jackson was cast on General Hospital in 1993 as Luke (Anthony Geary) and Lauras’s (Genie Francis) son, Lucky when he was 11-years-old. Jonathan drew on the parallels in their lives for his remembrance to his late former co-star.

“She was an absolute joy to work with. Focused, spontaneous and brilliant,” continued Jackson. “The most important thing between friends and coworkers is trust, and we had this. Elisa (formerly, Lisa Vultaggio) and I both love and cherish her deeply, like our own sister. She holds that place in our hearts. My prayer for her every day we worked together was that she would know how loved she is, and that she would find the peace that she was looking for.”

WE LOVE YOU, HAYDEN

Sadly, Jonathan concluded with, “It’s not possible to express the shock and grief that so many of us feel right now. Our humble prayers are with her family. May God’s angels carry you to your place of rest and true peace. We love you Hayden. You will always be in our hearts. Always.”

Nashville ran for four seasons from 2012-2016 on ABC, and then moved to CMT for its final two seasons from 2016-2018. The actors on the show could also sing and like Jackson, Hayden had a powerful singing voice that was showcased in the series as well as her undeniable acting chops.

Michael Fairman TV previously shared more of Panettiere’s Guiding Light and Nashville co-star tributes here.

So, what did you think of Jonathan Jackson’s very touching tribute to Hayden Panettiere? Did you love them as Juliette and Avery on Nashville? What have you thought about the ongoing investigation into Hayden’s death? Share your thoughts via the comment section.

 

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Bryan Craig, the two-time Daytime Award-winning actor, best known to soap fans as Morgan Corinthos on General Hospital has landed another feature film role. According to i68 Studios, Craig has been cast in the upcoming proof-of-concept to motion picture, The Weapon.

Production begins on August 27th in Texas, and Craig will play the role of Miller, the youngest member of Isaiah Fury’s original team. Miller is said to be, “A brilliant recon and tech specialist, Miller is quick-witted and uses humor to keep fear at bay. But when everything goes wrong, his loyalty wins out over fear, and he follows his brothers into the fight.”

The Weapon loglines share that the film is about brotherhood, sacrifice and what a man is willing to endure for the people he loves. Set against the backdrop of covert operations and a terrifying experiment that changes Isaiah Fury forever, this story asks what remains of a man when everything he thought made him human is stripped away. The film’s producers share on why they chose Craig for the role, “Bryan brings an incredible combination of intensity, charisma and vulnerability.”

Photo: JPI

BRYAN CRAIG’S MEMORABLE RUN AS MORGAN CORINTHOS

Since leaving General Hospital, Craig’s other roles have included: ABC’s Grand Hotel and Freeform’s Good Trouble, along with appearances in Valor, Walker and American Fighter to name but a few.

Bryan appeared on General Hospital for his initial run as Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Carly’s (Laura Wright) son from 2013-2016. His journey ended when Morgan was presumed dead after a car bomb killed him that was meant for Sonny. Craig later returned for appearances as Morgan in different iterations in 2018 and 2024. Craig won back-to-back Daytime Emmy Awards in the former Outstanding Younger Actor category in 2016 and 2017.

It was back in 2016, that Craig told Soap Opera Digest on his decision to exit General Hospital: “It’s been an amazing journey, but I feel like the time is right for me to say goodbye to General Hospital and Morgan Corinthos. This was not an easy decision and I am extremely grateful to ABC, Frank Valentini, and the entire GH cast and crew for the opportunity and their unyielding support. To the wonderful fans who have embraced and loved Morgan as one of their own, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

So, glad to hear of Bryan’s casting in The Weapon? Are you still holding onto hope that GH will bring back a very much alive Morgan Corinthos that could shake-up the canvas? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

 

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While recently the streaming service Peacock reported turning a profit for its first time since its infancy, now comes word that the company is raising their prices for all customers, and in some cases it stared today on August 18.

The news of the subscription rate increases marks the fourth time the NBCUniversal streaming platform has done so in four years.  So, on August 18, Peacock is increasing the prices for new or returning subscribers and customers, while current subscribers will see the rate increase on or after September 17 depending on their billing cycle when they initially signed up.

Here is the new pricing to follow along: Peacock Premium (which includes ads) will be $12.99/month, up two dollars from $10.99; Peacock Premium Plus will be $19.99/month, up three dollars increase from $16.99; and the Peacock Select tier (which includes current and past seasons of NBC and Bravo shows but excludes movies, live sports and Peacock originals) will increase a dollar from $7.99 to $8.99/month.

Photo: JPI

SUBSCRIBERS CONTINUE TO PAY MORE ACROSS THE STREAMER LANDSCAPE

It was back in June that the streamer reported that aid subscribers were up to 48 million adding a 2 million net gain during Q2 in of 2026. The subscription price hikes are rampant now in the entertainment streaming industry where over the last two years for example, Netflix, HBO Max, Apple TV, Paramount+ have all raised their fees to consumers.

Peacock’s tier-levels feature not only Days of Our Lives, but reality hits such as The Traitors and Love Island USA, Bravo series, and a vault of  Saturday Night Live, Law & Order, The Real Housewives franchise, and Below Deck episodes as well. Pecock Premium and Premium Plus subscribers have access to sports and live events, as well.

DAYS OF OUR LIVES SUBSCRIBERS HAD A FEW CHOICE WORDS FOR PEACOCK

As Days of Our Lives fans know, the soap opera moved from NBC to the streamer back in September of 2022 after 57 years on broadcast television. When the news hit X on the price increase, DAYS fans had a lot to say about it. Here are just a few of the comments below:

“I can’t believe Peacock and can’t come to a deal with Cordya to air old episodes of #Days. That alone would bring a ton of subscribers,” to If Peacock actually cared about #Days of Our Lives, gave the show the budget it needs for better sets, cameras, background actors and enough time to tell proper stories, I wouldn’t mind paying more. If the money actually showed on screen, the higher price would be worth it,” to “I  will continue to pay for a Peacock subscription as long as #Days is on it, but did we know there was another price increase coming?” and more.

So, what do you think of the new price hike increase to watch Days of Our Lives and your other favorite shows and events on Peacock? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.