Hayden Panettiere “Struggling” Before Death, Costar Justin Chatwin Says

Hayden Panettiere’s costar is sharing insight into her struggles.

Justin Chatwin detailed his experience working with the actress in early 2025 on the movie Sleepwalker, which would become her final film when it came out in January 2026 before her death at the age of 36. 

“Hayden seemed different when I met her this time than when I met her in the early years,” Chatwin told People in an interview published Aug. 17. “I’ve been sober for 15 years, so I know this world of addiction, and Hollywood—it takes, and it takes from youth.”

“I could tell she was struggling, and I was like, ‘I don’t think it’s this movie,’” he continued. “There’s a handful of women that I’ve worked with that I really liked, and I really loved working with her, but I also know that she was really lonely.”

Chatwin noted that Sleepwalker focused on heavy themes, which seemed to affect Panettiere due to her own past experience with domestic violence.  

“We hit it off great and it was an awesome shoot, but it was about domestic abuse and it was subject matter that may have hit close to home, because she did mention it,” he said. “She opened up to me about a lot of things.”