Hilary Duff Remembers Hayden Panettiere in Sweet Tribute

The actress and singer's heartfelt post captured the bond the two once shared as young stars navigating fame together. Though years had passed since they last spoke, her tribute made clear how deeply that connection had stayed with her.

Hilary Duff is honoring 2000s icon Hayden Panettiere, who died tragically at age 36. The "Lizzie McGuire" alum turned to Instagram to reflect on their friendship, noting that the two had drifted apart over the years but remained connected in her memory.

"Sweet Hayden," Duff began in her message, shared on Tuesday, August 18. "Really tough hearing this news. We lost touch through the years but I will always remember you as so hardworking and effervescent, with that big, gorgeous smile."

"I remember staying up late, chatting and gossiping, and connecting because we were part of such a small sliver of people who actually understood the strange lot in life we were navigating.. so young, with no real idea how to make sense of any of it," she continued.

"I so deeply wish this wasn't the end for you. Sending a heart full of love to your family, the many people you impacted and everyone who loved you," she added. "❤️rest easy."

Duff got her big break playing the title role in Disney Channel's "Lizzie McGuire" at age 13. Panettiere, meanwhile, built her early career on soap operas including "One Life to Live" and "Guiding Light," along with the film "Remember the Titans."

Panettiere's father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed on Sunday, August 16, that the "Heroes" alum had passed away. "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden," the family statement read.

"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," he continued. "We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss."

The Greenville Police Department and Greenville County Coroner's Office confirmed that officers had responded to a report of an "unresponsive female" at a South Carolina residence, later identified as Panettiere, amid concerns of a possible "drug overdose."

First responders arrived to find the actress in cardiac arrest and administered "advanced cardiac life support measures," but she was pronounced dead later that afternoon. Her cause of death remains under investigation.

Officials stated there were no "signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances" surrounding her passing. An autopsy similarly revealed "no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death," according to the coroner's office.

Earlier in the week, "Spy Kids" star Alexa PenaVega — another former child actress who counted Panettiere as a friend — shared her own tribute while opening up about the difficulties of growing up in the entertainment industry.

"Hayden, Michelle [Trachtenberg], Daveigh [Chase] … my heart is heavy today," PenaVega, 37, wrote via Instagram on Monday, August 17. "These aren't just names from my childhood. They're girls I grew up alongside, sharing a world that was exciting and also incredibly hard."

"We were kids navigating something so big, and not everyone had the foundation or support they deserved," she added.

Michelle Trachtenberg, who appeared alongside Panettiere in the 2005 film "Ice Princess," died at age 39 in February 2025. Daveigh Chase, who voiced Lilo in the 2002 animated film "Lilo & Stitch," passed away at age 35 this past June.

"Today, I'm grieving and holding their families close in my prayers and thinking of everyone still fighting battles we can't see," PenaVega concluded. "Hug your people close today."