Hayden Panettiere‘s last words to Clayton Johnson meant the world.
The Nashville alum spoke with the country musician in the weeks leading up to her Aug. 16 death at age 36, with Johnson sharing that Panettiere had left him with some impactful words.
“It’s been a couple of weeks since our last phone call, but the last thing you ever texted me was, ‘Honestly, people think it’s a joke to ask for world peace, but that would be me,'” Johnson wrote on Instagram Aug. 17, sharing a video of himself and Panettiere singing his 2025 single “Never Have To Say.”
“That was you in a nutshell,” he continued. “I’m grateful I got to know you, and I’ll always be grateful for the memories.”
In his tribute, Johnson—who was cast on Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of TheBachelorette following his breakup with Lana Del Rey—also reflected on how Hayden’s passing came three years after the death of her 28-year-old brother Jansen Panettiere.
“I spent last night trying to process, to try to find the right words, but there really aren’t any,” the 37-year-old added. “More than anything, I hope you’re at peace now and reunited with Jansen.”
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Inside Hayden Panettiere’s Final Days Before Her Death at 36
Authorities from South Carolina’s Greenville Police Department were called to an apartment complex on Aug. 16 around 1:51 p.m., according to a press release obtained by E! News. Upon arrival, first responders performed CPR on an unresponsive woman—later identified as the Heroes actress—before pronouncing her dead at the scene.
A police dispatcher reported the incident as an “overdose” to officers in a 911 call obtained by People and TMZ.
While an official cause of death has not been determined, Greenville authorities told E! News in a statement that an initial autopsy report confirmed “no signs of trauma” were discovered that would have contributed to Panettiere’s passing. Furthermore, a premilitary police investigation into her death showed no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.
Months before her passing, Panettiere—mom to daughter Kaya, 11, with ex Wladimir Klitschko—had published her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning,detailing her struggles with sobriety following addiction and postpartum depression.
“I never want to stop evolving and changing for the better, and I’ll forever be a work in progress,” she wrote, “but one thing I know from my 36 years in the public eye is this: Life is a process that evolves day by day, year by year—and like it or not—you are engaged in a cycle of growth until the moment you take your last breath.”
For more celebrities paying tribute to Panettiere, read on.
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“Rest in peace sweet Hayden,” Cattrall wrote on Instagram. “Gone far too soon.”
“Hayden was always such a sweetheart- so rad – down to earth, kind, and consistently the same every time I saw her,” Manning wrote. “We shared so many funny little moments over the years… I don’t really have words for what has happened and she is suddenly gone. I’m just grateful I got to know her and have memories like this.”
“Perhaps most quietly powerful, she spoke openly about what so many are taught to hide: domestic violence, postpartum depression, addiction, recovery, and abuse,” she wrote. “She did not share these things for ease or attention, but because she understood what her silence could cost others.”
She added, “Her activism was not polished or performative. It was instinctive, human, sometimes messy, often vulnerable, and always sincere. She was willing to be uncomfortable, to be misunderstood, and to speak before the world was ready to listen.”
“I just wanted to acknowledge the tremendous loss, not only for the Kingdom Hearts family, but of course all of the close loved ones and the millions of lives that Hayden reached,” they said in an Instagram video. “Sending so much love to Hayden’s family, I’ll be thinking of Hayden and the legacy that she has left. Sending lots of love to the Kingdom Hearts community too and how we’re sharing in this loss.”
“Hayden Panettiere was a beautiful talent and beautiful soul,” the Scandal alum wrote. “Sending her family my love, thoughts and prayers.”PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
“I first met Hayden when she was 16, and she was already a veteran actor with such bright spirit, and an older soul,” he wrote on Instagram. “I remember her as a fierce protector of animal rights and a ‘cheerleader’ for kindness, justice, and people being treated fairly – something that I’ve always appreciated.”
He also shared a reminder to online users, emphasizing, “Life can be so short… let’s send some love out to the world, our loved ones, and to those who need it most today.”
“I directed this video for @haydenpanettiere with @imsebastianstan,” he explained on Instagram. “When I saw her at Paris’ a couple months ago, we were cracking up over all the funny stuff we talked about between shots, pranking Klitschko in Miami, and how tiny she was. Such a sweet, tiny little bundle of joy. Your memory will always be a blessing.”
“My thoughts are with your daughter and those who truly love you,” she added. “I know that the ones that got to feel your gifts will forever feel blessed and grateful for you.”
“I’m crushed,” Bethany wrote in an Instagram post. “I knew the wild little blonde. Was she nine? Ten? I was eighteen. She ran through the Screen Gem studio hallways at 222 E44th St. laughing and playing games in between blocking and camera rehearsals. Long, unruly curls trailing behind her. She knew her lines and everyone else’s. Her intelligence was astonishing.”
Noting that the pair would “connect on and off over the years,” Bethany detailed feeling joy when they “were lucky enough to cross paths.”
“I dont understand how this is real,” she continued. “Everything seemed to be turning around. She was coming BACK to life, wasn’t she? It’s too young and there’s still so much more life. And her daughter…. Hayden, you are surround by love. I’m sorry for every moment I didn’t reach out or check in. This can’t be real..”
“Julius [Tennon] and I loved working with you,” Viola wrote in her Aug. 17 Instagram post, “an old, wise soul with such a deep heart. I wish the world had more time with you because I had a burning curiosity about who you were becoming. I saw this beautiful Phoenix rising from the ashes. Your tests became your testimony, and your testimony became your legacy.”
“You will be remembered,” the Fences star added. “Rest well, Hayden. Sending healing prayers to your family, your daughter, and all who loved you. May they always speak your name.”
Osbourne praised Panettiere as being “such a good friend.”
“I will never forget you, Hayden, and I will always believe you deserved better,” the Osbournes alum added. “Rest in peace, sweet princess. You will never be forgotten.”
“You were so special,” he wrote on his Instagram Stories alongside a clip of her podcast episode. “May you always be protected and peaceful.”
“Devastated,” she captioned a photo of the pair on Instagram. “We first met on the LIRR traveling to NYC for auditions when we were both kids. Every time our paths crossed, my heart always filled up. She was special. She was a Sprite of a being and such a talent. Truly a light…..Love you, Hayden.”
