Ruby Rose has shared an emotional remembrance of Hayden Panettiere, describing the actor as her “best friend” and recounting a friendship that, by Rose’s account, involved speaking every day for five years.
Panettiere died on Aug. 16 at age 36. Her work reached audiences across television and film through roles in Heroes, Nashville, Scream 4 and Scream VI. But Rose’s comments focus on a more private picture: a consistent relationship formed despite her initial reluctance to pursue friendships within the entertainment business.
A friendship that began unexpectedly
Rose said she did not expect the two to become friends. She explained that previous experiences with the industry had made her wary of celebrity friendships. Their first meeting nevertheless moved quickly from uncertainty to conversation, with Panettiere approaching Rose and suggesting they talk because they had much in common.
That instinct proved meaningful. Rose said the pair soon recognized that they shared “everything in common,” and their connection developed into a daily habit of checking on one another by text. The detail matters because it reframes a public tribute around routine rather than spectacle: not simply two performers who knew each other, but two friends who maintained steady contact over years.
Daily check-ins can be deceptively simple. In a public-facing career, where professional obligations and online attention often shape what people see of a person, a private conversation can offer continuity. Rose did not present those exchanges as a solution to every difficulty or define what every conversation covered. What she did establish is their frequency, and the place the friendship held in her life.
Rose emphasizes Panettiere’s wish to speak in her own voice
One of Rose’s most significant observations was that Panettiere wanted her story told “her way” and “on her terms.” That statement is particularly notable alongside Panettiere’s 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she spoke openly about struggles with drug and alcohol addiction.
A memoir is a first-person account in book form. In this context, Rose’s emphasis on authorship points to the importance she places on Panettiere having the opportunity to explain her own experiences, rather than being reduced to roles, headlines or outside interpretation. It does not provide a complete account of Panettiere’s life, nor should it be treated as permission to speculate about circumstances not established publicly. It is, instead, Rose’s account of what her friend valued.
That distinction is crucial in coverage of loss involving someone whose struggles were public. A person can be candid about addiction and still deserve accuracy, restraint and respect for the limits of what is known. Panettiere discussed her experiences in her memoir; Rose’s reflection adds the perspective of a close friend who says the two spoke every day. Neither point answers unanswered questions about her death.
Related coverage includes Ruby Rose Remembers Hayden Panettiere as Her ‘Best Friend’.
Investigation remains part of the public record
Days after Panettiere’s death, the Drug Enforcement Administration joined an investigation alongside the Greenville Police Department in South Carolina to determine the cause of death. An investigation is a fact-finding process, not a conclusion. The involvement of law enforcement agencies should not be used to infer a cause, assign blame or connect Panettiere’s past disclosures to her death without confirmed findings.
The DEA is a federal law-enforcement agency whose work includes enforcing laws involving controlled substances. Its participation in this case establishes that it is assisting the local investigation; it does not, on its own, establish the result of that investigation. The available information states that the cause of death was being determined.
That uncertainty also makes Rose’s choice of focus especially clear. Rather than trying to explain what cannot yet be explained, she spoke about who Panettiere was to her: a friend who made contact, found common ground and kept showing up through day-to-day messages.
Colleagues remember a performer with lasting ties
Rose is among several people from Panettiere’s professional life and wider circle who have shared remembrances. Jack Coleman, who played her father on Heroes, described being heartbroken and recalled meeting Panettiere during the pilot more than 20 years ago.
In his tribute, Coleman recalled Panettiere calling him “daddio” after introducing herself with an enthusiastic “daddy” and a hug. He also remembered her by the nickname “Haydini,” calling her a magician. The memory reaches back to the beginning of a series connection that audiences may recognize, but its value is personal: a small, vivid recollection of the rapport between two actors whose characters were family.
Heroes remains a central title in Panettiere’s screen career, while Nashville and the two Scream films named above reflect the range of projects through which viewers encountered her. Rose’s account sits beside those credits without turning Panettiere’s legacy into a résumé. It places friendship at the center: five years of daily correspondence and an early encounter that overcame hesitation.
Why the details of Rose’s remembrance resonate
Public tributes often lean on broad praise. Rose’s comments have a different texture because they are built from particulars: uncertainty about making friends in the industry, an unexpected introduction, a recognition of shared experience and the discipline of regular check-ins. Those details do not attempt to define Panettiere completely. They explain why Rose calls her a best friend.
There is also an important boundary in how such remembrances are understood. A friend’s testimony can illuminate a relationship, but it cannot settle medical or investigative questions. The known facts are that Panettiere died Aug. 16 at 36, that authorities were working to determine a cause of death, and that Rose described a close five-year friendship. Beyond that, the responsible approach is to allow confirmed information to emerge rather than filling gaps with assumption.
Rose’s recollection ultimately preserves an intimate measure of Panettiere’s impact: someone who initiated a conversation, recognized kinship and sustained contact. In the midst of public mourning and an ongoing investigation, that is the story Rose chose to tell—one grounded in friendship, agency and the everyday act of asking someone how they are doing.
For more entertainment coverage, read about the cancellation of Ride or Die after one season.
