PETA has released a posthumous campaign starring Hayden Panettiere that the actress filmed just two weeks before her death.
The animal rights organization debuted the spot on Tuesday, featuring the “Heroes” star, 36, stripped down and curled inside a clawfoot bathtub to protest marine mammal captivity. A PETA representative confirmed the campaign was shot on July 22 and that the “Nashville” actress was “wonderful” on set.
“Imagine spending your entire life in a bathtub,” Panettiere says in the video, which PETA shared across its social media platforms. “That’s what it’s like for dolphins and whales in tiny tanks at marine amusement parks.”
She continues, detailing what the animals lose in captivity. “In their ocean homes, dolphins swim up to 60 miles a day, free to be with family and other pod members. They can dive deep, escape the hot sun, and enjoy the rain on their back. All of that is taken from them when they’re confined to small tanks.”
The campaign marks one of Panettiere’s final public appearances. PETA senior vice president Lisa Lange said in a statement, “Hayden Panettiere became a household name playing a hero on TV, but to animals, she was the real deal,” She added, “The world has lost a kind soul and the animals a fierce ally, and everyone at PETA holds her memory close.”
On Instagram, PETA wrote that Panettiere had “confined herself to a bathtub for a campaign protesting marine parks like SeaWorld” just two weeks before her passing. The organization urged followers to “honor Hayden’s legacy” by refusing to buy tickets to marine parks.
The Whaleman Foundation, another group Panettiere worked with closely, posted a tribute on its homepage. “It’s with broken hearts that we share the very sad news that Hayden Panettiere has passed away,” the statement read. “Hayden was a very passionate Ambassador to dolphins and whales as she lent her voice to those beautiful beings who had no voice of their own.” It concluded, “She will be sorely missed.”
Panettiere’s marine activism stretched back nearly two decades. In October 2007, at age 18, she paddled on a surfboard through bloody waters off Taiji, Japan, to confront dolphin hunters during their annual slaughter. The confrontation was captured in the 2009 documentary “The Cove,” which won the Oscar for best documentary feature.
In a 2008 Teen Vogue interview, Panettiere credited the success of “Heroes” for putting her “in a place to speak for things that I’m passionate about.”
The PETA campaign’s release comes as investigators continue examining the circumstances of Panettiere’s death. She was found unresponsive at Judson Mill Lofts in Greenville, South Carolina, around 1:50 p.m. On Sunday. First responders initiated advanced cardiac life support but pronounced her dead at 2:32 p.m., according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.
Dispatch audio obtained by multiple outlets captured officials discussing an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest” at the scene. Reports said that Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, was found on a mattress in the residence. An autopsy completed Monday found “no signs of trauma,” coroner Mike Ellis stated, but the cause and manner of death remain pending toxicology results that could take approximately eight weeks.
In the viral moment that sparked renewed attention to her advocacy, Panettiere’s bathtub confinement for PETA drew comments from fellow performers. Actress Josie Davis wrote on social media, “It’s so serendipitous that she’s describing herself here. It’s heartbreaking,” She added, “But I do hope people hear her message and help these dolphins by setting them free.”
Panettiere’s father, Skip Panettiere, issued a statement through her representative requesting privacy. “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” he said. “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.”
The actress, who released her memoir “This Is Me: A Reckoning” in May, leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko.
PETA’s campaign video ends with Panettiere’s direct appeal to viewers: “Together, we can end this cruelty. Thank you.”
Toxicology results from the Greenville County Coroner’s Office are expected to determine the official cause of death.