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Ruby Rose Remembers ‘Best Friend’ Hayden Panettiere: ‘All That She Ever Wanted Was to Have Her Story Told’
Confirmed
In Short: Rose also reflected on Panettiere's desire to have her story told. 'Hayden, all that she ever wanted was to have her story told, her way, on her terms,' Rose added.
Ruby Rose, star of 'Batwoman,' is opening up about her friendship with the late actress Hayden Panettiere, who passed away on August 16 at age 36.
In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Rose, 40, described Panettiere as a 'best friend' and said they spoke every day for five years.
Rose became visibly emotional while speaking about Panettiere, saying she didn't think they were going to become friends initially because she hadn't had many celebrity friends and hadn't had a great experience in the entertainment industry.
The comments come weeks after Panettiere was found unresponsive at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina. Chief Deputy Coroner Shelton England of the Greenville County, South Carolina Coroner’s Office told NBC News Sept. 16 that the final toxicology results are expected to be released within the next two weeks.
Panettiere, known for her roles in 'Heroes,' 'Nashville,' 'Scream 4,' and 'Scream VI,' openly spoke about her struggles with drug and alcohol addiction in her 2026 memoir, 'This Is Me: A Reckoning.
Rose and Panettiere will be celebrated at a memorial service in Malibu, but Panettiere's mother, Lesley Vogel, and her on-again off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson were reportedly not invited to the event.
Rose spoke about Panettiere’s passing during a Sept. 15 interview while promoting the upcoming season of reality show 'Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,' on which she is a cast member.
Both Panettiere and Rose have been vocal about their negative experiences in the entertainment industry. Rose said, 'That’s really — that’s my family.
The toxicology results are expected to be released within the next two weeks, or possibly sooner.
Panettiere was found unresponsive in a Greenville, South Carolina, Airbnb with her on-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.
What's confirmed
- Ruby Rose is opening up about her friendship with actress Hayden Panettiere, who passed away in South Carolina on August 16 at age 36.
- “ Hayden, all that she ever wanted was to have her story told, her way, on her terms,” the Batwoman star added.
- In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Ruby, 28, said Hayden was a “best friend” and that they “spoke every day for five years.” She became visibly emotional while speaking about the late Heroes star, saying she didn’t think they were going to become friends in the beginning because she didn’t have many celeb friends and hadn’t had a great experience in the entertainment industry.
- 25+ Amazon Editors’ Picks For Fall, From $8 Steals & Deals, Boxes & Last Chance Market Actor Ruby Rose recently got emotional while reflecting on the bond she shared with her good friend and confidante Hayden Panettiere, who died in August.
What's still developing
- Rose explained that while she was initially hesitant to befriend Panettiere, her reservations quickly dissolved.
- “She saw me, and I just remember thinking, ‘Oh no!’ And then she ran up anyway and was like, ‘Hey, I’m Hayden. Can we go talk somewhere. We’ve got a lot in common,’” Rose said.
- “It’s a bigger group now. There’s 14 of us that we’ve collected over the years,” Rose said.
- Panettiere reflected on the trauma she endured first as a child actor and later on as an adult in Hollywood in her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” published in May 2026.
- “Missing Hayden more than life today,” Rose wrote in a Sept. 14 Threads post.
- “That’s really — that’s my family.” Rose added that all Panettiere “really ever wanted was to have her story told — her way on her terms.” Panettiere was in cardiac arrest, meaning her heart had stopped beating, when emergency personnel arrived to the apartment on Aug.
- The Orange Is the New Black star got choked up when asked by Entertainment Tonight how she hopes Panettiere is remembered during the premiere of Fox’s Special Forces.
- “She really wanted to have an experience like Collin and I are having at the moment,” she said, while Gosselin added, “And she deserved it.” “I can’t voice against it enough when when parents don’t look out for their children in this world,” he said.
- Panettiere, like Gosselin, had been open about alleged mistreatment from her mother.
- Popular on Variety The two quickly became close after realizing they “had everything in common,” Rose said.
- Throughout their five-year friendship, they texted each other every day to check in.