Michelle Rodriguez said it’s “not normal” how many young stars are dying following Hayden Panettiere’s tragic passing at 36.
“I’ve got to tell you, man, I just can’t stand how many young people are leaving us lately,” Rodriguez, 48, told Variety on Monday at the 25th anniversary screening of “The Fast and the Furious” in Los Angeles.
“It’s disheartening, and it’s making me think, ‘What’s going on?’ It’s not normal. I don’t want to speculate about anything, but it’s weird,” she added.
Michelle Rodriguez (pictured Monday at the 25th anniversary screening of “The Fast and the Furious”) said it’s “not normal” how many young stars are dying following Hayden Panettiere’s death. REUTERS
“It’s disheartening, and it’s making me think, ‘What’s going on?’ It’s not normal,” Rodriguez said when asked about the late actress (pictured in 2022). Getty Images for amfAR
“Just in general, the amount and the volume of it since 2010 to now, it’s a lot.”
Rodriguez, notably, co-hosted the World Music Awards alongside Panettiere in 2010.
When asked what she remembers most about the late actress, Rodriguez said, “Her curious spirit and how happy and joyous she is, because that’s her memory, right?”
Rodriguez, notably, co-hosted the World Music Awards alongside Panettiere in 2010 (as seen above). WireImage
She told Variety that she remembers Panettierre’s “curious spirit and how happy and joyous she is.” WireImage
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The “Resident Evil” star’s remarks come one day after Panettiere was found “unresponsive” and “in cardiac arrest” at an Airbnb rental inside the Judson Mill Lofts apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday afternoon.
The 911 dispatch call exclusively obtained by Page Six revealed that authorities reported an “overdose” and that “CPR [was] in progress.”
Medics attempted to resuscitate Panettiere with advanced cardiac life support and chest compressions, but she was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. She was 36.
The “Nashville” star (pictured during her May interview with Jay Shetty) was found dead on Sunday after being open about struggling with addiction and postpartum depression. YouTube/Jay Shetty Podcast
Several of Panettiere’s fellow child stars have tragically died at a young age, including Michelle Trachtenberg (pictured with Panettiere in the 2005 Disney Channel movie “Ice Princess”). ©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection
Panettiere, who battled addiction and postpartum depression, was allegedly suffering from “really severe” back pain before her death.
In her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” released in May, the “Heroes” alum also opened up about how child stardom had negative effects on her later in life.
Panettiere’s fellow former child stars Michelle Trachtenberg and Daveigh Chase, notably, also died in their 30s following years-long battles with addiction and grappling with the effects of being child actors.
If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
