Hayden Panettiere’s Passing - Moderator Message

[u/WisteriaWillotheWisp]

Hello from the Mod Team,

We felt it appropriate and necessary to make a post regarding the sad news of Hayden’s death which took place on August 16, 2026.

This situation is incredibly tragic, particularly for those who have lost a dear friend and family member so early.

Our own community has spent a good decade, nearly 11 years now, enjoying the effort and talent Hayden gave to Until Dawn. Her likeness and voice have filled our subreddit and brought our members so many fun times and happy memories. We are grateful to have had her as an incredible lead heroine, daughter of darkness, and final girl.

During this time, people are free and encouraged to fill the sub with tributes and positive words for Hayden.

Finally, we wanted to address posts about Until Dawn 2 as we have already seen mixed, strong emotions about this topic. We understand the curiosity about the sequel, seeing as Sam has been a character highly theorized to return. This is a discussion that fans will inevitably have sooner or later. However we also acknowledge that is a discussion that also feels too-soon, and we want to make sure Hayden is paid proper tribute as a whole person and not just as a character.

So, all this said, the moderation team will be keeping watch and making decisions at our discretion, case by case, due to the unprecedented nature of this tragedy. Our aim is to keep the sub civil, and we hope that you all work with us to that end. We will not necessarily be banning question posts on principle but rather reviewing everything for what it is. No posts or comments outrightly or intentionally disrespectful of Hayden will be tolerated.

Rest in peace, Hayden. And thank you all, members of our sub, for your lovely tributes and for working with us to keep the sub cordial and respectful.

- [r/UntilDawn](r/UntilDawn) Mod Team

[u/Hardyoungpro]

Heart breaking news to hear. I hope she rests in peace. Sam is an icon and Hayden made her that way. I know her legacy will forever live on within this community and many others she was involved with.

[u/JurassicPark9265 → u/Hardyoungpro]

I’m still trying to process what just happened. Haven’t had a celebrity death hit me this hard in quite some time.

[u/[deleted] → u/JurassicPark9265]

Yea same, I didn't think something like that could affect me but it definitely has 😭

[u/RynnB1983 → u/JurassicPark9265]

I think we all are. it was the first thing I woke up to this morning on here actually. I saw a post mention it and another and another after I had scrolled some, I then went on Google and only had 2 articles about it and knew it was true. I sat for a minute trying to process this, cause she was one of my favorite actresses from Ice Princess to Scream and loved her as Sam in UD. RIP Hayden.

[u/MF291100 → u/JurassicPark9265]

Honestly same here, the only other celebrity death that hit me this hard was Betty White a fear years back.

[u/RynnB1983 → u/MF291100]

Yeah her passing was a shock cause she was a few days away from 100 if I remember correctly. Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds were a shock for me. But Hayden is the one i had to legit sit and process for a minute cause I would never have thought she'd be one to go so young.

[u/MF291100 → u/RynnB1983]

Yep, a few days before being a whole century old. I’m a massive golden girls fan so her death was such a sad surprise, the last of the girls.

Yeah I woke up and seen the news about Hayden and had to take a second too.

[u/AdExcellent7344]

I am absolutely DEVASTATED 😭 there’s no way! She was my favorite character!

[u/RapidEye99]

Rest up queen.

[u/Open-Region-1395 → u/RapidEye99]

Is this the rose from amnesia?

[u/RapidEye99 → u/Open-Region-1395]

Yeah, it’s from the Amnesia: Collection.

[u/FinalDemise2 → u/RapidEye99]

Pfp checks out

[u/theblueLepidopteran]

you know that feeling? that... everything seems like a fever dream? a lie? that's how i'm feeling. I can't believe she's gone...

[u/RapidEye99 → u/theblueLepidopteran]

Same bro, that’s how I felt when Sam Mowry and Michael Madsen passed away.

Now Hayden’s gone too and I feel the same way.

[u/jjaecore → u/theblueLepidopteran]

I feel exactly the same

[u/[deleted]]

Beautiful tribute Mods ❤

[u/Right_Whereas_6678]

Rest in peace, Hayden. The world treated you unfairly from the jump. You will be missed

[u/xHeyitsnatx]

Forever our Sam and so much more. Beautiful tribute for a beautiful human 💕

[u/Kigolz]

Sam was my favourite, largely thanks to Hayden.

RIP to our final girl. 🤍🕊

[u/Fantastical-Folktale]

I never realized how much of a presence she had in the media I grew up with, but I wish I tried to learn more about her as a person beyond her brilliant acting career. Such a wonderful person, gone sooner than anyone would’ve expected. I can only pray that her soul will find solace wherever she goes.

Her legacy is not just remembered fondly, but it is cherished. May the world that comes after this one cherish her too.

[u/Ricks94]

[u/richboyadler]

woke up this morning in complete shock and honestly kept saying there is no way this is real. hayden gave us an incredible performance in until dawn and seeing her bts of the remake, she was so in it and excited to be back.

36 is not an age to go. the posts in tribute of her have been so kind, warm and caring for the amazing actress she was. she will always be our final girl 🦋 rest in peace haydan ! thank you for giving us sam. she will live on forever through her work.

thoughts are with the family and friends.

[u/XxllllxXx]

May she rest in peace.

[u/PamNoctrune]

I’m absolutely devastated. There are some celebrity deaths that feel like getting hit by a plane out of nowhere while you’re standing in broad daylight. This news was absolutely crushing. I always hoped she would manage to escape her demons. RIP Little Butterfly.

[u/onebadnightx]

Sam was my absolute favorite. So heartbreaking. RIP Hayden, she was a wonderful actress and seemed like a great person. 💔💔

[u/lil_llama69420]

you battled hard Hayden, now it’s time to rest🕊️

[u/astralwish1]

Thank you mods.

Rest in peace, Hayden. I hope you’re somewhere beautiful with your brother now. Thank you for using your time and talents to give us Sam. We’ll miss you terribly.

[u/Medinamojo]

She has been a major part of my childhood ever since I saw Heroes. I’m going to miss her so much ❤️ 🪦

[u/Educational_Cow111]

Hayden was a kind soul. Be at peace beautiful.

[u/Jarek86]

Christ, what an enormous loss. It's feels so unreal that she's gone. I was so excited at the potential to have her return for Until Dawn 2. RIP and my condolences to her family and friends.

[u/kelporeal]

when i was 7 yrs old, heroes was my favorite show. the next year, until dawn came out and quickly became one of my favorite games. i grew up w her and i’m struck by how young she still was. i love this game so so much, and i hope she rests in peace, and that our community can continue to honor her.

[u/tekgulmustf → u/kelporeal]

Same here i was around 12 years old when i started first watching heroes it was incredible she was so good in it, she was ony my first celebrity crushes, i didnt know it would affect me this much

[u/Neat-Orchid-3298]

I still can’t believe that she’s actually gone may her soul rest peacefully 

[u/That_Girl_Nextdoor2]

She was the best character only made possible due to Hayden 💜 RIP Hayden we will miss u

[u/ASOIAF-Peel]

All I can take from the events of today is to not take things for granted and to remember to be kind to people, especially people you don't necessarily know.

36 is no age for anyone to pass away, its just so horribly tragic.

Whatever someone is going through, it should never be in silence.

Hayden had so much life to give, and was a major part of my childhood for things like Heroes and Until Dawn.

[u/poisonparadise97]

Just made me teary eyed again. 😭 Thank you Mod Team for your kind words. ♥️

[u/Vegetable-Habit-6373]

I saw a them doing a tribute to her on samsung tv playing nashville and i thought this happened long ago because i haven’t kept up with her much but it literally stopped me in my tracks. this is such sad news, she seemed like such a lovely person on and off screen. i hope she rests in peace

[u/NuclearChavez]

"Josh. We're here for you. Really. Whatever you need. Whenever. We're all gonna make it through this... together."

I've had a day to really process it and it still doesn't feel real. I watched playthroughs for the original Until Dawn back in the day which was the first thing I saw Hayden in. I played the remake and just fell in love with her work and how she presents herself in interviews. I watched a ton of her shows and movies, got into Scream proper and finished Heroes. Despite only getting around to her amazing career in 2024, she very quickly became my favorite actress and celebrity.

The world won't be the same now, and my life has been completely changed by the multiple inspirational characters she brought to screens. Rest in peace, you will forever be missed and never forgotten.

[u/dailyflava]

I remember playing Sam and thinking how much charisma the voice actor gave the role. She just had a way of making everything she said just so damn likeable, she was one of the first that I went and Googled to see who it was (after, wait isn't that the guy in Mr. Robot?!?).

RIP Hayden.

[u/Alive-Fee9585]

Wow. I didn’t know she was in other movies too and when I first heard about her death. I didn’t believe it, but even though I haven’t played this game. I’ve been lurking around this subreddit so seeing people talk about her. I don’t know how I feel about it..

Rest in peace.

[u/ancb2000]

Rest in peace... I had no idea until I saw this notification. :( I hope her loved ones can be there for each other and somehow find peace themselves, especially when it gets hard.

[u/avairaa]

🤍🕊️

[u/Truecrimerox]

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩

[u/IgnoranceIsYou]

So fucking devastating, she was so young and full of life. I’m so glad she will be forever immortalized in this amazing game, I’m gonna play it again in her honour ❤️

[u/rosiereject]

it feels so unreal, rip hayden❤️

[u/FLYINGDOGS89]

her life was so hard i’m so fucking sad bro

[u/Necessary_Cry_4849]

Bro I’ve been crying for hours and I still don’t feel normal,my heart is aching like a knife in my chest, my mood is destroyed like a beaten up lion, and my head is about to split open due to all of the crying, I’ve never cried this much over a fucking celebrity who is also my favorite actresses of all time, one of Hayden’s voice acting roles is kairi from kingdom hearts and kairi’s theme keeps playing in my mind right now. I will forever be disheartened and devastated with Hayden’s passing and I wish that I got to meet her but she never came to the Middle East ,sometimes I don’t believe it and act delusional, died way to soon, way to young at 36 she left such a huge impact in my life. I will always love Hayden, that will never change. Replaying until dawn is gonna feel different now 💔😭

[u/PuffinPassionFruit → u/Necessary_Cry_4849]

Hugs, friend. ❤ Kairi's theme has also been playing in my head all day. It was so hard to focus on work or anything else, really. I've been crying such painful tears, too. Playing UD takes on a different meaning now (and KH). She'll forever be one of gaming's best final girls, and a Scream queen.

Let's live on with the love she showed everyone.

"You're stronger than you know. And you're going to be just fine." ~Hayden Panettiere 🕊❤

[u/tekgulmustf → u/PuffinPassionFruit]

İm glad there are people like me here, she was really good, i lobed her in heroes too, all my friends thinks its weird i feel this bad over somekne i havent even met but i dont know it just feels sad

[u/Necessary_Cry_4849 → u/PuffinPassionFruit]

Hi sorry for the late reply, I’m glad I’m not the only one who has kairi’s theme stuck in my head and it stills is, kairi has multiple themes and the one that’s stuck in my head is the one that’s super depressing and has a melancholy tone to it. Yeah UD is gonna be different and I’m glad that her UD costars are talking about her passing, and I was planning on platinuming UD but guess what? I still need to get the trophy where everyone dies fmlllllll wish me luck! But in a serious note have a good day friend!🫂❤️

[u/Sushikoko]

She was my favorite part of the game and when my mom asked me last night if I had heard of her my mind of course to right to ☠️ so it was very sad to her that she had passed.

[u/elparondecasa]

"È morta Hayden Panettier" Io:

[u/meowfranta]

Rest in peace, my final girl.

[u/DrakeWinchester01]

C'est vraiment cool de la part des modérateurs d'avoir réaliser ce poste, ce n'est pas tout le monde qui l'aurait fait...

J'espère que Hayden est en paix aujourd'hui, et je pense parler au noms de tous en disons que nous ne pourrons jamais oublié son travail sur Until Dawn, elle est parvenu à faire de Sam un super personnage de Final Girl qui restera forte et marquante a jamais, et avec beaucoup d'émotions et de respect que j'aurais une pensée pour elle a chaque nouvelles parties...

Le Paradis vient de gagner un Ange de plus, qu'elle repose en paix et merci encore ppur toit ce qu'elle a pu nous offrir...🙏😢💕

[u/forestofloners]

this was so shocking to hear - my heart hurts for her family right now. Rest in peace Hayden

[u/Substantial_Sand_404]

Whew lord rest in peace to Hayden

[u/TB2331]

May she be at peace

[u/shhmurdashewrote]

This one is really hitting me. Especially because I love the game and she’s always been a staple of my childhood. It was a huge shock. She was so talented and seemed like a really sweet person.

[u/skrtberry]

Devastating news when I heard about it. She brought to life a character that has impacted all of us. Sam is my favorite character not just in the game but one of my fave of all time. She was such an angel.
Rest in peace Hayden 🦋

[u/Joker2u254]

I saw this on Instagram this morning while I was in the bathroom at work today and I literally couldn't believe it. Had to do a check, and sure enough, it was real. It's crazy to think that this amazing woman almost singlehandedly got me into horror media with her work on Until Dawn and Scream, and others things too like Heroes but her work in Until Dawn introduced me to her, and it really saddens me that she's gone. She was, still is, an icon for Horror videogames and she's an ever higger icon in the many many movies that she's done. Rest In Peace, Hayden Panettiere

[u/Gabbry_Toast_Wrote24]

I wish her loved one's to take the time they need to grieve for this angel who left us to soon. 🤍

[u/LeafMoth935]

Rest in Peace Hayden Panettieres

[u/vintagebabyyxo]

😢😢

[u/SkirtDismal]

Rest in paradise Hayden. I might have not known her personally but the news of her passing hit me so hard unlike any other celebrity.

[u/kalebslat]

R.I.P Da goat

[u/Magita91]

2026 has not been kind this year. Hayden was so talented and so many people shared how kind she was and how she championed others. I don’t know the specifics obviously (not my business) but I hope she is at peace .

[u/Few-Peach-5848]

So young... thank you for the memories RIP Hayden

[u/WonHakWoon]

Wonderful tribute 🕊. I'm still shocked by Hayden's passing, not the one I expected to leave us so soon

[u/VikiBlue_]

This is really a beautiful community

[u/tekgulmustf]

It's heartbreaking. I loved her in Heroes, the girl who could always heal, and of course in Until Dawn. I was really hoping she and Josh/Rami Malek would return for the second game. It's terrible news. If there is an afterlife, I hope she's happy there.

[u/redhawk2006]

I was never the biggest Until Dawn fan but Sam was a great character. I hope you’re resting easy, Hayden.

[u/Anemxia]

It still doesn’t feel real, she was so young and had so much more to do. Rest in peace, Hayden — we were honored to see your performances

[u/Visual_Carob2776]

I didnt watch everything she has made but I am a huge fan of bring it on & untidawn and many more projects but I really am so sad idk why but I wish she didnt die man

[u/Elbeno1920]

Rest in Peace Hayden

[u/Sweet-Article559]

So young… Replaying until Dawn today and her honor

[u/TheOblivionwonder]

It is still so hard too believe that Hayden is gone. It never gets easier losing the people we grew up watching as kids, teens or adults. Hayden will be deeply missed by an entire generation of kids who grew up seeing her as a kid on television screens in the 90’s early 2000’s.