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She received critical acclaim for her role as Juliette Barnes in Nashville, earning nominations at the Golden Globes, Critics' Choice and People's Choice Awards among others.

Yet it's hardly surprising that Hayden Panettiere was lauded for her role as the troubled country singer, given she felt she was 'acting out her own life'.

Hayden was tragically found dead on Sunday at the age of 36 after going into cardiac arrest following a suspected overdose.

It was a tragic end to her life mere weeks after she claimed 'I have a lot more life to live,' having 'shaken off the darkness and negativity' of her well-documented past.

While Hayden delved into her traumatic past with the release of her memoir this year, fans will be familiar with her troubles, given many of them played out on screen in Nashville.

The ABC series charted Juliette's (Hayden's) bid to nab the Queen of Country title from rival Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton), with the star suffering from addiction, mental health woes and exploitation in her transition from child star to mature artist.

Yet as the show went on in its six season and six year run, Hayden began to notice how much her real life paralleled her character's.

Hayden Panettiere revealed she was'traumatised' when her personal tragedies were used to inspire Nashville storylines. She played troubled teen star Juliette Barnes who faced personal turmoil while trying to nab the Queen of Country title from rival Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton)

She told Messenger in 2024: 'Filming Nashville was very traumatizing because I felt like I was acting out my own life. Straight from the beginning, it was like, I'm dating a football player, [and then] Juliette dates a football player.

'And then they turned her into an alcoholic. Then they turned to her leaving her daughter and going to this crazy [place] in Europe, and it was very obvious…

'They weren't doing their homework. They weren't creating new storylines. They were just looking at my life and going, "Oh, let's just take what she's going through and put our little spin on it." And then, ta-da! It's done and done.'

Hayden added that she also struggled with the intense storylines being filmed during 12-to-20 hour days.

'I didn't have time to take care of myself [and] to think about and go through the pain I was experiencing physically [and] emotionally,' she said.

'I just wanted to drum it out and watch mindless television and great shows. Anything to keep my mind off of that because I knew that next day I was going to be back at it again. I was like, tear central.

'I don't even think on a soap opera that I cried as much [as I did] on Nashville.'

She added on Jay Shetty's podcast last year: 'I didn't know where Juliette began and Hayden ended.

'I didn't even realize I was becoming her constantly, and I wasn't able to take care of myself.'

Her role as Juliette also wasn't what she had signed up to be, with Hayden believing she was meant to be a supporting character to co-star Connie.

'Unfortunately, after the pilot, it was clear that my billing had gone way up,' she wrote in her memoir this year, adding: I went from maybe number five in terms of importance to nipping at Connie´s heels.I was deeply uncomfortable with this development.'

The Daily Mail has contacted Lionsgate for comment.

Even in series one there were parallels, with her character being set up with a football player. At the time, Hayden was dating NFL star Scotty McKnight (pictured in 2012)

The inaugural season also saw Juliette attempting to navigate her toxic relationship with mother Jolene, played by Sylvia Jefferies, right

Hayden was open about her own struggles with her mother, Lesley. It's believed the pair were still estranged at the time of her death (pictured in 2007)

Indeed, it seems Hayden's life served as a template for her character's arc.

Even in series one there were parallels, with her character being set up with a football player. At the time, Hayden was dating NFL star Scotty McKnight.

The inaugural season also saw Juliette's toxic relationship with mother Jolene (Sylvia Jefferies). Hayden was open about her own struggles with her mother, Lesley. It's believed the pair were still estranged at the time of her death.

In 2014, Hayden announced she was expecting daughter, Kaya, with Wladimir Klitschko, with her pregnancy written into the show.

Yet in another case of life imitating art, it was written into the script that Juliette suffered from postnatal depression just like Hayden – who later checked into rehab for treatment with the condition.

Both Hayden and her character also abused alcohol during their postnatal depression battle.

In another parallel, Hayden and Juliette were temporarily separated from their daughter amid their addiction battles.

On the show Juliette's daughter Cadence was taken away by her father Avery (Jonathan Jackson) while she battled her addictions.

While in real life, Hayden gave up custody of her daughter to her ex-fiancé Wladimir when she was aged three.

As Hayden suffered with her mental health, the actress agreed to allow Kaya to relocate to Ukraine with her father.

She recalled in her memoir: 'I remember every second of that day. Every f***ing second. No mother could forget a single thing about the day she signed her child away.'

Hayden then decided not to celebrate the series finale of Nashville, explaining: 'I couldn't pretend that this chapter of my life was something to memorialise.'

In 2014, Hayden announced she was expecting daughter, Kaya, with Wladimir Klitschko, with her pregnancy written into the show

On the show Juliette's daughter Cadence was taken away by her father Avery (Jonathan Jackson) before slowly reintroducing the pair to one another

She also penned: 'Not being under the same roof with her [Kaya] every day has been the most gut-wrenching experience of my life, and it's hard to describe the layers of emotion – including sadness, resentment, and anger – I've felt because of it.

'I grieve that I'm not the mother I thought I'd be and definitely not the mother I want to be (trust me, no one should ever have to raise a child on FaceTime), and although I miss Kaya so much my heart aches, I know how blessed I am to be her mom.

'She is the greatest gift of my life, with all the best parts of her father and me, and, today, I believe I have the opportunity to be a different kind of parent than most.'

While Hayden had since reconnected with Kaya, she vowed not to speak too much about their arrangement, explaining: 'She didn't ask to be born into the limelight or my chaos, and she didn't get to choose her parents. I want her to have every choice that I didn't, including the ability to live a private life.

'So out of respect for her right to normalcy, my stories of motherhood will be through my eyes only, and I'll keep personal details of her life to a minimum.

'I also want to make clear that I don't blame Wlad for any of my wrongs; I take full responsibility for my part in our relationship and my shortcomings as a mom. Wlad is one of the most courageous people I've ever met and a true hero in so many ways.'

Hayden and Wladimir met at a book launch in 2009. After two years of dating, they split up in 2011, before rekindling their relationship two years later.

On Tuesday, he broke his silence about her death, sharing a picture of the pair with Kaya and penning: 'Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief...

'The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon. Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya...

'She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry. Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives...

'To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was...

'I extend my deepest condolences to Hayden’s parents, her friends, and her fans, who are also grieving today. Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon...

'I ask everyone to please respect our family’s feelings and privacy during this incredibly difficult time. For now, this is all I wish to say...

'Thank you to everyone who is supporting my family and expressing their sincere condolences... Rest easy, Hayden. May you find eternal peace.'

On Tuesday, Wladimir Klitschko broke his silence about her death, sharing a picture of the pair with Kaya and penning: 'Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief...'

While a cause of death is yet to be announced, it was revealed on Monday that Narcan was found in the apartment where Hayden died.

The nasal spray, which is used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, was found on a mattress in a loft apartment where she was staying.

It is still unclear if that Narcan had been used to try and revive Hayden, although 911 audio obtained earlier on Monday revealed that the actress had gone into cardiac arrest following a suspected overdose.

Greenville County Sheriff's Office said that her post-mortem examination had been completed and that no signs of trauma were found on the star's body.

Further investigations will now take place to establish her cause of death, with chief deputy coroner Shelton England telling the Daily Mail that it was too early to discuss the drug overdose theory.

Earlier, a representative for Hayden confirmed her death, saying her family would remember her as an 'incredible light' who brought 'immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her'.

A statement from her father, Skip, read: 'It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden.

'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.'

Her father also asked that her family be given privacy as they 'take time to process this unimaginable loss'.

For help and support with substance abuse and addiction issues in the UK, visit Change Grow Live on https://www.changegrowlive.org/

In the US, call Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on 1-800-662-4357