Alexa PenaVega mourns the deaths of 3 fellow child stars: ‘Hayden, Michelle, Daveigh… my heart is heavy’
Alexa PenaVega mourns the deaths of 3 fellow child stars: ‘Hayden, Michelle, Daveigh… my heart is heavy’
Marina WattsMon, August 17, 2026 at 10:29 PM UTC
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Alexa PenaVega in Santa Monica in July 2025; Hayden Panettiere in West Hollywood in November 2022Credit: Tommaso Boddi/Getty; Jon Kopaloff/GettyKey Points -
Former child star Alexa PenaVega shared a poignant message following the death of Hayden Panettiere.
“They’re girls I grew up alongside, sharing a world that was exciting and also incredibly hard,” PenaVega wrote of Panettiere, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Daveigh Chase.
PenaVega is known for starring in the Spy Kids movies.
Alexa PenaVega is mourning her fellow child stars following Hayden Panettiere’s death.
The Spy Kidsstar posted on Instagram about the death of Panettiere, as well as the passing of actresses Michelle Trachtenberg and Daveigh Chase, which all happened in less than two years.
PenaVega also offered a poignant message about those who enter the entertainment industry at a young age and the importance of feeling supported.
“Hayden, Michelle, Daveigh… my heart is heavy today,” she wrote on Instagram. “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.”
Alexa PenaVega and Daveigh Chase at the ‘Walkout’ premiere at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood in March 2006Credit: Stephen Shugerman/Getty
She continued, “We were kids navigating something so big, and not everyone had the foundation or support they deserved. Today, I’m grieving and holding their families close in my prayers and thinking of everyone still fighting battles we cannot see. Hug your people close today.”
Panettiere died on Sunday. She was 36. The actress, who was known for Heroes, Nashville, Ice Princess, and Bring It On: All or Nothing, was open about her substance and alcohol abuse issues and postpartum depression.
The late star suffered from an apparent “overdose” and “cardiac arrest,” the 911 call obtained by PEOPLE revealed. The following day, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office released a statement on her autopsy, noting that there were “no signs of trauma” that “would have contributed to the death.”
“The cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies. This investigation remains active and ongoing,” it reads. “No further details are available for release at this time.”
Hayden Panettiere and Michelle Trachtenberg at the Stuart Weitzman Boutique in New York in September 2011Credit: Alli Harvey/Getty
Chase, who voiced Lilo Pelekai in Lilo & Stitch and appeared in the horror movie The Ringas Samara Morgan, died in June of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), with chronic polysubstance use listed as a significant condition. She was 35.
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Daveigh’s former manager, John Ryan Jr., told Entertainment Weeklythat Chase had been missing for over 10 years before her death and that he helped her get into “a couple rehabs back in the day.” He also indicated that she struggled more with “drinking than heavy drugs.”
Her mother, Cathy Chase, told the Daily Mailthat she struggled with substance abuse after suffering from a back injury from a motorcycle accident around 2016. The former actress was prescribed oxycodone and other painkillers. “She was seeking drugs and was partying with the wrong people,” she said.
Daryl Sabara and Alexa PenaVega in ‘Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over’Credit: Miramax
Trachtenberg was found dead in her New York apartment in February 2025 from complications of diabetes. She was 39. Along with appearing in the 2005 movie Ice Princess with Panettiere, Trachtenberg acted in Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
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A source told PEOPLE that prior to her death, Trachtenberg had been “really down emotionally” and struggling with “health issues.”
“She told friends she was struggling,” the source said at the time. “She was really, really sick and open with those in her circle about how much she was struggling.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
