Melissa Gilbert has penned an essay encouraging better mental health protection and safety for child performers.
Follow the deaths of child stars Hayden Panettiere, Daveigh Chase and Michelle Trachtenberg, the Little House on the Prairie star demanded that child actors access better support as they transition into young adults.
"I did not know Hayden personally and only worked briefly with Mishy and Daveigh. It feels personal because I was them," Gilbert wrote in the new Substack essay. She also listed other female child actors including Drew Barrymore, Jodie Foster and the Fanning sisters.
"We are all members of the same tribe; Female Former Child Performers, and when one of us dies, it runs through all of us like an electrical current," Gilbert added "When three of us die so close together, something is very, very wrong."
Gilbert wrote that she felt like the trend of the entertainment industry exploiting children before discarding them is "getting worse" and that she herself was "nearly worked to death a few times."

#hayden #performers #essay

Anna Paquin is calling for stronger protections and support for former child performers after the recent deaths of Hayden Panettiere, Michelle Trachtenberg and Daveigh Chase, arguing that safeguards surrounding young stars have not always worked as intended.
In an Aug. 21 Instagram post, the 44-year-old Oscar winner focused particularly on girls who become ******* ualized while they are still children. As PEOPLE reported, Paquin wrote that former "presexualized female" child stars were "not as protected" by systems that may look effective on paper as they were supposed to be.
Paquin described former child performers as members of a "strange small club" and directly invited anyone struggling with experiences from the entertainment industry to contact her privately. "I believe you and I will stand by your side," she wrote, ending with the message, "You aren't alone."
She subsequently clarified that she was addressing a specific experience, children working on sets who find themselves prematurely treated as ******* objects. In comments covered by RTÉ, Paquin stressed that she was not suggesting harm occurs only within entertainment.
Paquin's original Instagram statement referred to Panettiere, Trachtenberg and Chase by their initials while expressing condolences to their families and "too many others." She later explained that she used initials simply because she was running out of ******* e in the Instagram caption, not because they carried another meaning.

#trachtenberg

Melissa Gilbert mourned the deaths of former child stars Hayden Panettiere, Daveigh Chase, and Michelle Trachtenberg: "Tragically, heartbreakingly, agonizingly too soon."
The actress partially blames smartphones for the hostile environment facing young celebrities: "Now everyone is a paparazzo. There is no privacy."
She argued that Hollywood should "establish accessible free mental health support for all child actors as they transition into young adulthood."
Melissa Gilbert is calling for systemic change after the death of Hayden Panettiere.
The Little House on the Prairie alum penned a Substack essay reflecting on the Heroes star's tragic death at 36, along with other former child stars who have died within the last 18 months.

#gilbert #panettiere #daveigh

Anna Paquin is speaking out about the challenges faced by child stars following the death of Hayden Panettiere.
The Oscar-winning actress shared an emotional message on Instagram reflecting on the experiences of young performers, particularly girls who grow up in the entertainment industry.
Paquin, who won an Academy Award at age 11 for The Piano, referenced the deaths of Panettiere, Michelle Trachtenberg and Daveigh Chase, three former child stars who died before reaching age 40.
Without focusing solely on Panettiere, Paquin used the moment to discuss what she described as the dangers of growing up in Hollywood.
Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / MEGA

#panettiere #anna #hayden #Instagram

Melissa Gilbert sent an emotional call to action regarding child actresses after Hayden Panettiere's death.
On Saturday, August 22, the former Little House on the Prairie child actress posted a lengthy Substack update addressing the deaths of Panettiere at 36 in August 2026, Michelle Trachtenberg at 39 in February 2025, and Daveigh Chase at 35 in June 2026.
"How is it possible that no one in the mainstream media has picked up on this?" Gilbert, 62, began her post. "… Three former female child actors of the same generation are gone. Tragically, heartbreakingly, agonizingly too soon."
She continued, "They are gone, and the question I have been turning over and over in my head is, 'WHY?' Why are these three sweet, wildly talented, vibrant, vital young women gone? And why does this all feel so personal to me? I did not know Hayden personally and only worked briefly with Mishy and Daveigh. It feels personal because I was them. As were Tatum, Kristy, Brooke, Patty, Anyssa, Dakota, Elle, Shirley, Britney, Jodie, Drew, and my sister, Sara, to name a few."
Gilbert called the women "members of the same tribe," declaring, "When one of us dies, it runs through all of us like an electrical current. When three of us die so close together, something is very, very wrong."

#child

In the wake of Hayden Panettiere's death, the director of one of her last films is opening up about his experience with her on set, saying the "energy in her room was pretty dark" at the time.
The actress, who worked with Griff Furst on his 2025 film A Breed Apart, died on Sunday at age 36 at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
'Ice Princess' Director Pays Tribute to Hayden Panettiere, Michelle Trachtenberg: "Two Shining Talents, Gone Far Too Soon"
Hayden Panettiere's Ex Wladimir Klitschko Speaks Out: "She Left This World Far Too Soon"

#director #furst #apart #south

Alexa PenaVega is reflecting on the challenges of growing up in Hollywood after the death of Hayden Panettiere
PenaVega shared a heartfelt tribute to Panettiere, Michelle Trachtenberg and Daveigh Chase, all of whom were child stars who passed in the last two years
She emphasized the unique bond and struggles shared by child actors navigating fame at a young age
Alexa PenaVega is reflecting on the realities of growing up in Hollywood following the death of fellow former child star Hayden Panettiere.
PenaVega, 37, shared a heartfelt tribute to Panettiere, who died on Aug. 16 at age 36, on Monday, Aug. 17, remembering her alongside actresses Michelle Trachtenberg and Daveigh Chase, who also grew up working in the entertainment industry.

#panettiere #shared #hollywood

News of Hayden Panettiere's death on Aug. 16 was shocking to fans who had watched her grow up as a vibrant presence onscreen in Remember the ******* ans, Heroes and more.
The actress, who died of an apparent overdose, sadly follows several other young stars whose work defined the early aughts, but didn't get to grow old. At only 39, Panettiere's Ice Princess costar Michelle Trachtenberg died of complications from diabetes mellitus. The Famous Jett Jackson star, Lee Thompson Young, committed suicide at age 29, while Aaron Carter died of an accidental drowning while under the influence.
Ahead, we remember some of the child stars from the early 2000s, who died before they turned 40.
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Hayden Panettiere
Credit: Munawar Hosain/Fotos International/Getty Images

#heroes

Hayden Panettiere, the former child actress best known for her roles in TV series like "Heroes" and "Nashville," died on Sunday, Aug. 16 − and the news is hitting fans hard.
"I never cried so hard for a stranger in MY LIFE!!!" one user wrote on X.
On social media, tribute posts and comments of disbelief poured in. Panettiere, 36, also starred in "Ice Princess" alongside 2000s icon Michelle Trachtenberg, who died at 39 in 2025.
"First Michelle Trachtenberg now Hayden Panettiere I'm so sad I can't believe this my Ice Princesses both gone," posted another fan. "My brain and heart are still processing this. I can't believe she's no more," one user chimed in.
It's not unusual that Panettiere's death is affecting some fans so deeply. Celebrity deaths can feel personal, even if you never met the person. And while grief is different for everyone, experts say "collective" or "public grief" is a valid experience and can be exacerbated when the death of a public figure is learned unexpectedly in the news or on social media.

#panettiere

Ice Princess fans are mourning Hayden Panettiere's death at 36, less than two years after Michelle Trachtenberg died at 39.
On Sunday, August 16, Panettiere's rep confirmed her death in a statement to ABC News.
"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden," they shared. "She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen."
Panettiere was found dead in South Carolina, TMZ reported, and an investigation into her death is "ongoing," her rep noted.
In the wake of the shocking news, fans of the 2005 film Ice Princess, starring Panettiere and Trachtenberg — who died in February 2025 from natural causes due to complications from diabetes mellitus — took to social media with tributes.

#hayden #panettiere #sunday #august

Rosie O'Donnell says taking a gradual approach to weight loss through GLP-1 drug Mounjaro helped her avoid the common side effects **** ociated with the medication.
Speaking with Ana Navarro on the July 27 episode of the "Bleep!" podcast, the comedian said she gradually increased her dosage of the Type 2 diabetes medication over three years, losing about 65 pounds without experiencing adverse effects. Mounjaro is approved to treat Type 2 diabetes and is also **** ociated with its effects on weight loss.
"I did the lowest dose for [the first] year with 2.5. Then I did [the second] year at 5 and now I'm just finishing year [three] at 7.5," O'Donnell said, referring to milligrams dosing.
O'Donell and Michelle Trachtenberg star in the first Nickelodeon movie "Harriet the Spy" in 1996.

#year #type #diabetes

Rosie O'Donnell said she wishes she could have done more for Michelle Trachtenberg before her death last year.
In an interview with Variety published Thursday, July 16, "The View" alum said she tried to help her "Harriet the Spy" costar after she believed Trachtenberg had gotten into drugs and alcohol, adding that she wished she could have done more.
"She got into drugs and alcohol, I believe, and then I lost touch with her. In the last few years, when she was in pretty bad shape, she would call me and we would talk," O'Donnell told the outlet. "I also called her mother to find out what was going on, and her mother told me what was happening, and how long it had been happening."
Trachtenberg died in February 2025 at age 39 from complications of diabetes mellitus, according to the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. She was found unconscious and unresponsive at an apartment building and later ******* ounced dead on the scene when EMS officials arrived, the New York Police Department previously confirmed. The manner of death was determined to be natural.
The comedian said she was supposed to see the "Gossip Girl" actress three or four times at restaurants or at her house, but that "she just never showed up."