Star calls for drastic action after Hayden Panettiere’s sudden death
Rose McGowan is the latest star who has hit out against child stardom alongside an emotional post following the death of Hayden Panettiere.
The 52-year-old actress shared the tribute to her fellow Scream franchise star on Instagram, which started, “Rest in Power” with a plea to keep children out of the entertainment industry.
Rose McGown has spoken out about child stardom alongside an emotional tribute to actress Hayden Panettiere. Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
“Don’t put kids in show business,” the actress added.
“None of this is normal. May her spirit be free of those who orchestrated.”
McGowan and Panettiere didn’t work on the same movie, instead they starred in separate instalments of the Scream horror franchise.
McGowan was in the 1996 original, meanwhile Panettiere appeared in both the 2011 Scream 4 and 2023, Scream VI.
Panettiere’s career in the entertainment industry started when she was just 11 months old, landing a commercial.
By the time she was four, she’d launched a full-blown acting career, thanks to her role in One Life to Live. She went on to become a household name as a teenager, through her roles in Heroes and Friday Night Lights.
A lot of the people who commented on McGowan’s post echoed the same view of child stardom.
McGowan shared the plea on social media to keep kids out of showbiz. Instagram/@rosemcgowan
“This!! None of this is normal 💔 Rest in paradise, Hayden,” replied one follower.
Another wrote, “Kids don’t belong to show business.. too many sad stories, well said…”
“Exactly. Hayden was just a child when she entered this world, and she should never have been expected to bear the consequences of decisions she couldn’t comprehend,” one person added.
McGowan is just one of the stars who have spoken out since Panettiere’s sudden death last week.
Hayden Panettiere died on August 16, of an apparent drug overdose. Getty
Anna Paquin, a former child star who won an Oscar at the age of 11 for her performance in The Piano also spoke out on social media.
Paquin, 44, who had a very minor role in Scream 4 with Panettiere, wrote, “It’s not a coincidence that so many former, specifically pre-sexualized female, child ‘stars’ have profoundly sad lives and untimely ends.
“We were not as protected by the ‘systems’ that look great on paper, as we are supposed to be.”
She also referenced the death of fellow child stars Michelle Trachtenberg and Daveigh Chase in the post as being part of a “strange, small club.”
“You are worthy of support, no matter how our industry made us feel,” she wrote.
“I believe you, and I will stand by your side.”
Panettiere rose to fame in the TV series Heroes, before landing roles in Nashville, Scream 4 and the Bring It On series. Getty
Spy Kids star Alexa PenaVega, 37, also paid tribute to Panettiere after her death, and included a mention of Trachtenberg and Chase.
In the post on Instagram she urged her followers to “hug your people close today.”
PenaVega paid tribute to three fellow child stars on Instagram. Instagram/@vegaalexa
“These aren’t just names from my childhood. They’re girls I grew up alongside, sharing a world that was exciting and also incredibly hard,” PenaVega continued.
“We were kids navigating something so big, and not everyone had the foundation or the support they deserved.
“Today, I’m grieving and holding their families close in my prayers and thinking of everyone still fighting battles we can’t see.”
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