‘Batwoman’ Star Ruby Rose Tearfully Remembers ‘Best Friend’ Hayden Panettiere in Emotional Interview
Hayden Panettiere’s death has left a lasting mark on Hollywood, and tributes to the ‘Heroes’ and ‘Nashville’ star are still coming in. Panettiere died on August 16 at the age of 36, and colleagues and friends have continued to share their memories in the weeks since. Now one of her closest friends has spoken about her publicly for the first time in an interview.
Ruby Rose, the actress known for ‘Orange Is the New Black’ and ‘Batwoman’, was at a press event promoting the new season of Fox’s ‘Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test’. The show premieres on September 24, and Rose appears alongside fellow cast member Collin Gosselin. During a September 18 interview with Entertainment Tonight, she was asked how Panettiere should be remembered.
Variety shared the story on X on September 20, and the post has drawn 47.3K views, 167 likes, and 11 reposts. According to the coverage, Rose became visibly emotional and called Panettiere her best friend, saying the two spoke every single day for 5 years. She also said all Panettiere ever wanted was to have her story told her way, on her own terms.
Rose went on to describe how the two women first met. She said she was initially hesitant to make celebrity friends because of her own difficult experience in the entertainment industry. Panettiere, though, walked straight up to her, suggested they talk somewhere, and said they had a lot in common.
Rose said she laughed at first, but the conversation quickly proved Panettiere right. The two shared a friendship built on daily texts and regular check-ins. Rose added that their circle has since grown into a group of 14 people who consider themselves family.
Reaction online was not uniform. While many people offered condolences, a few replies to the post questioned how close the two really were, which is a reminder of how quickly public grief can turn into debate. Still, Rose’s own account of the friendship was clear and heartfelt.
Best friends forever. 🤍 Ruby Rose gets emotional remembering the late Hayden Panettiere. pic.twitter.com/yV5a8AykcY
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) September 18, 2026
Details about Panettiere’s death remain limited. The Today show reported that she was found unresponsive at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina. Reports have differed on the cause, and coverage says investigators are still waiting on final autopsy results.
Hollywood Reporter coverage has also noted that Panettiere’s representative condemned those fueling gossip and speculation while the investigation continues. That is worth bearing in mind for anyone reading about the case online. Until official findings are released, it is best to rely on confirmed information rather than rumor.
Panettiere’s career began in childhood, with roles in ‘Remember the Titans’, ‘Ally McBeal’ and ‘Racing Stripes’. She became widely recognized as Claire Bennet in ‘Heroes’, a role that won her a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. She later starred in ‘Nashville’.
Her wish to tell her own story feels especially poignant in that context. World Today News reported that she had recently written a memoir, ‘This Is Me: A Reckoning’, in May, where she discussed the pressures of growing up in the spotlight and her relationship with her mother. Rose’s comments echo that desire for control over her own narrative.
A former ‘Heroes’ colleague also paid tribute earlier, remembering the first day of the pilot 20 years ago, when Panettiere greeted him with a burst of energy. That warmth is the same quality Rose described in their friendship.
Which Hayden Panettiere role do you remember most?
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