After paying a short tribute on Instagram, Melissa issued a lengthier statement to USA Today, admitting that she was “still in shock” about the news and lamenting that “Hayden should still be here”.
Back in April 2011, the late actor originated the role of Kirby Reed in Scream 4, returning to the franchise for the sixth instalment in 2023, by which point Melissa had joined the franchise.
Hayden also returned for the seventh film, which was released earlier this year. However, Melissa wasn’t involved in the series at this point, after being reportedly dropped from the franchise due to speaking out as a staunch supporter of Palestine, amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Melissa said in her tribute: “I feel so incredibly lucky that I got to grow up watching [Hayden] and admiring her, and that I got to know her and share the screen with her. She will always be an icon in my book.
“Her strength and her light, despite everything she went through, were so evident and will always stay with me.”
She added: “I am forever grateful to her because she showed up for me when no one else did. That was just the kind of person she was: A rare, honest, badass who felt so deeply. Such a heart-shattering loss.
“My condolences and love to her mother, her beautiful daughter, and her loved ones.”
In 2024, Hayden told The Messenger that Melissa’s firing from the Scream series was “very unfair and upsetting”.
Kristin Callahan/Shutterstock
“After [Melissa spoke out], then a whole bunch of other actors and people in the industry started to do the same thing, right?” she observed (as reported by Variety). “It was almost like she just did it earlier than everyone else.”
Hayden added that she’d check in with Melissa to see how she was doing, which she appreciated as “a lot of people hadn’t really asked her how she felt”.
“[But I’m] not worried [about her],” Hayden concluded. “Melissa is such a badass as a human being and as an actress… She was hurt by it, but I think she took it in stride and was very, very gracious about it.”
At the time of Melissa’s Scream departure, production company Spyglass released a statement saying they have “zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech”.
Melissa responded on Instagram: “First and foremost I condemn Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. I condemn hate and prejudice of any kind against any group of people.”
“I believe a group of people are NOT their leadership, and that no governing body should be above criticism,” she continued. “I pray day and night for no more deaths, for no more violence, and for peaceful co-existence. I will continue to speak out for those that need it most and continue to advocate for peace and safety, for human rights and freedom. Silence is not an option for me.”
Police in Greenville shared earlier this week that they’d been called to an apartment block in the South Carolina city on Sunday night, after an “acquaintance” of Hayden contacted emergency services.
“Upon arrival, medical assistance was administered; however, the individual, later identified as Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene,” a police spokesperson shared.
The Greenville Police’s statement went on to say: “The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office. The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.”
Meanwhile, an autopsy report later revealed that there had been “no signs” of any physical trauma that could have contributed to Hayden’s death.
