'Hayden Panettiere was our tornado, and the sun': Nashville co-stars mourn actress's sudden death

The tight-knit cast of ABC's Nashville is coming together to honor Hayden Panettiere following her death on Sunday, August 16, at age 36. The actress, who played breakout country star Juliette Barnes on the drama, died at a private residence in Greenville, South Carolina, prompting an outpouring of grief from the people who spent years working alongside her.

Sylvia Jefferies, 57, who portrayed Juliette's on-screen mother Jolene Barnes throughout the show's run beginning in 2012, shared one of the most personal tributes on Instagram Monday. She described spending the day letting the reality of the loss settle in, admitting Panettiere's presence could be overwhelming — she once nicknamed her co-star "a downright tornado."

Jefferies went on to describe the emotional swings that made Panettiere who she was, comparing her moods to shifting weather before settling into calm. She remembered quiet, private memories too — looking back through old photos and recalling saved voicemails, including the very first time Panettiere called her "Mama" while opening up about her childhood. “I’ve had to take the day to let the idea that Hayden is not with us, wash over me. I shoot straight from the hip,” she wrote, before candidly discussing working alongside Panettiere.

“At times, Hayden was not easy to be around. I remember calling her a downright tornado. But she was our tornado. The sun that appears, the light mist that begins, the rain that gets heavier, the swirling of everything around her, and then the gentle tapering rain returns, along with the calm and sun and light in her eyes, and the giggle in her voice.”

“She had an incredibly bright future ahead of her, although her inner demons were at times too much to bear," she wrote.

The two women, born almost exactly 20 years and one week apart, had recently grown closer after Jefferies read Panettiere's 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning. They'd even made plans to reunite at castmate Charles Esten's concert on August 14, just days before her death. Jefferies said she felt proud of how openly Panettiere had shared her story in the book, calling it something that surely wasn't easy for someone so gentle-hearted to do. She closed her tribute with an image of peace, picturing Panettiere reunited with her late brother, "dancing in that water with the dolphins for whom you cared so dearly."

Connie Britton, 59, who played Rayna Jaymes opposite Panettiere for six seasons, posted her own tribute Monday alongside photos spanning their years on set. She remembered her costar's energy: 'Bursting with brilliance, shining so bright." Britton said she was left without words, describing the moment only as pure heartbreak.

Charles Esten, who played Deacon Claybourne, recalled meeting Panettiere at his very first audition for the series and watching her step into the role of Juliette Barnes immediately and completely.

He described their years of hard work turning into genuine friendship, full of laughter even as their characters navigated heavy storylines. Esten praised her talent and the way she poured her own charisma and humor into the role despite whatever personal struggles she carried, calling it "a great gift" to have acted, sung, and simply been friends with her. He added that she was especially warm toward his wife, Patty, joking that she may have liked Patty more than him, before closing with a prayer for her family and everyone mourning her loss.

Viola Davis, who starred with Panettiere in 2016 courtroom drama film Custody, shared a tribute on Instagram: "What an amazing talent you were... so gifted."

Panettiere's close friend One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy-Lenz, who had known her since she was a child actress, said she was "crushed" by her death.

She wrote: "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. She understood scenes and nuance and human struggle like no child I'd ever seen on camera. And she'd sit with you for a great conversation, then giggle and go play."

She added: "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."

Cruel Intentions actress Selma Blair said: "I love you. Don't be gone. Please."

Panettiere's father, Alan Lee "Skip" Panettiere, released a statement through a family representative Sunday describing his daughter as a source of love and joy for everyone who knew her, both personally and through her decades on screen.

Authorities in Greenville confirmed that police and EMS responded to a call about an unresponsive woman at a private residence around 1:50 p.m. local time on August 16, later identifying her as Panettiere. Dispatch audio reviewed by PEOPLE referenced possible cardiac arrest and an overdose, though the Greenville Police Department said its preliminary investigation found no signs of foul play. Greenville County Coroner Mike Ellis said an autopsy showed no trauma that would explain the death, and that the official cause and manner of death remain pending further toxicology and investigative work.