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Connie Britton shared photos on Instagram in honor of her late Nashville co-star, Hayden Panettiere.
Panettiere died on Sunday (August 16) in Greenville, South Carolina. She was 36. The Palisades, New York-born actress starred in the musical TV drama Nashville alongside Britton. The pair played two country stars: Britton played Rayna James, a legend in the genre, and Panettiere played Juliette Barnes, a young and rapidly-rising country-pop hitmaker. What began as a rivalry between he two characters grew into a relationship of mutual respect and support throughout the series.
“This was Hayden. Bursting with brilliance, shining so bright,” Britton, 59, wrote in her caption as she posted photos with her late co-star on Monday (August 17). “I have no words for this sad song. Just heartbreak. I love you girl. Sleep easy now. 💔”
Britton and Panettiere starred in Nashville along with Charles Esten, Clare Bowen, Jonathan Jackson, Sam Palladio, Chris Carmack, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and more. The show also included appearances by real-life county artists. Nashville premiered in 2012. It ran until 2018. Britton is one of many actresses and artists to pay tribute to Panettiere. Jay DeMarcus, for example, a Rascal Flatts star who made a cameo on Nashville, posted that he’d “just heard the tragic news of Hayden’s passing. I had the privilege of working with her several times during her years here in Nashville, this is absolutely heartbreaking.. prayers for the family.”
“Rest in Peace, Hayden Panettiere,” reads a post on the historic Bluebird Cafe’s Instagram account. Panettiere and other Nashville stars performed at the iconic venue in Music City. “She was a spark; funny, incredibly talented, beautiful. ‘Nashville’ brought her to us at The Bluebird, and she became part of our family through that. We are heartbroken hearing the news of her passing and we join with her family, friends and colleagues in mourning her loss. 🩵”
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” a statement confirmed on Sunday. “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.”