Alexa PenaVega mourns third fellow child star lost in 2026 after Hayden Panettiere's death

Alexa PenaVega said Hayden Panettiere is the third fellow child star she has lost in 2026, per Variety. Michelle Trachtenberg died in February at 39 from diabetes complications; Daveigh Chase died 16 June at 35, the LA County coroner listing AIDS and chronic polysubstance use. Panettiere, 36, died in Greenville, South Carolina; cause undetermined as of 17 August 2026.