Anna Paquin, an actress known for roles in True Blood and the X-Men film franchise, has opened up about the dangers of child stardom following the death of Hayden Panettiere.
Panettiere, 36, was found unresponsive in South Carolina on Sunday, Aug. 16, and pronounced dead despite advanced life support efforts, according to a report by People.
Panettiere, who was known for her roles in Heroes” and Nashville, had been acting since she was a child, appearing in soap operas such as One Life to Live and Guiding Light. Like the late actress, Paquin also acted when she was young. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1994 at age 11 for her role in The Piano.
“It’s not a coincidence that so many former, specifically pre-sexualized female, child ‘stars’ have profoundly sad lives and untimely ends,” Paquin wrote in an Aug. 21 message posted to Instagram. “We were not as protected by the ‘systems’ that look great on paper, as we are supposed to be. RIP HP, MT, DC, and too many others.”
“It’s a strange small club we belong to and you are worthy of support no matter how our industry made us feel. Literally DM me. I believe you and I will stand by your side,” she added.
She went on to say “you are not alone” and encouraged her fellow child stars to “have each other’s backs.”
“It might make public disclosure less terrifying,” she said.
In the caption, she said she was speaking “specifically about the experience as a child on set that finds themselves prematurely a ‘sex object.’” She noted that she was not implying that “damage is not done outside of the context of entertainment.”
Paquin shared another note on Instagram on Saturday which read as follows:
“One more thing- As an adult I’ve had the pleasure of working on productions where the welfare and mental health of young performers was handled incredibly carefully. Especially around material that was intense. It is possible to holistically look after the kids on set and tell complex and sometimes upsetting stories. It just has to be the top priority of the production.”
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Luke Peteley; Staten Island Advance, N.Y.; (TNS) || © 2026 Staten Island Advance, N.Y.. Visit www.silive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
