Hayden Panettiere's former Nashville co-star Sylvia Jefferies has shared a heartbreaking tribute following the actress's death, saying her 'inner demons' had at times become 'too much to bear'.
Jefferies, who played Panettiere's mother Beverly Barkley on Nashville, posted an emotional message on Instagram on Monday after taking time to process the news.
'This hits deep,' she wrote. 'I've had to take the day to let the idea that Hayden is not with us, wash over me.' The 57-year-old actress described Panettiere as a powerful, unpredictable presence both on and off screen.
'I shoot straight from the hip. At times, Hayden was not easy to be around,' Jefferies wrote. 'I remember calling her a downright tornado. But she was our tornado.'
She then painted a softer picture of the late actress, remembering her laughter, warmth and the emotional force she carried.
'Inner Demons Were Too Much to Bear'
Jefferies said Panettiere had 'an incredibly bright future ahead of her', but also acknowledged the struggles she had witnessed during their relationship. Her 'inner demons were at times too much to bear', she wrote.
Her comments reflected Jefferies' personal memories of Panettiere and did not suggest that those struggles were connected to her death, the cause of which remains undetermined.
The tribute did not frame Panettiere only through those struggles. Jefferies remembered looking through photos, listening to old voicemails and thinking back to the first time Panettiere called her 'Mama'.
'We seemed far apart, but we were very close in our hearts,' she wrote. Jefferies said the two had reconnected earlier this year after she read Panettiere's memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning. They had made plans to attend a concert together, according to Jefferies' tribute.
'I was so proud of her for sharing the real Hayden,' Jefferies wrote, adding that doing so must have been 'excruciatingly painful' for such a gentle soul.
Co-Stars Pay Tribute
Jefferies closed her tribute by imagining Panettiere at peace with her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, who died in 2023 at the age of 28 from an enlarged heart, according to his family.
'Our hearts are shattered, knowing that you are not just a phone call or text away,' she wrote. She signed off, 'I love you, sweet girl. Always, in all ways. Love, Mama.'
Other Nashville stars also honoured Panettiere. Connie Britton, who played country superstar Rayna James, remembered her co-star as 'bursting with brilliance, shining so bright'.
'I have no words for this sad song. Just heartbreak,' Britton wrote. Sam Palladio also paid tribute, calling Panettiere generous, wise beyond her years and someone who lit up every room.
A Career Marked by Talent and Personal Struggles
Panettiere was found unresponsive in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday and was later pronounced dead. She was 36.
Emergency responders found Panettiere in cardiac arrest, while some reports have cited a suspected overdose. Authorities have not confirmed an overdose as her cause of death, which remains under investigation. An autopsy was completed on Monday, with authorities reporting no traumatic injuries.
Panettiere began acting as a child and appeared on One Life to Live before going on to star in Heroes, Bring It On: All or Nothing, Scream films and Nashville.
Her role as country singer Juliette Barnes earned her two Golden Globe nominations and made her one of the defining faces of the series. Panettiere also spoke openly about addiction, postpartum depression and recovery, experiences she later addressed in her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.
She is survived by her daughter, Kaya, whom she shares with former partner Wladimir Klitschko.
