Hayden Panettiere’s 'Nashville' co-star Jonathan Jackson says actress was 'like our own sister'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jonathan Jackson shared a lengthy, emotional post about his 'Nashville' co-star Hayden Panettiere. He couldn’t comprehend that his co-star had gone too soon at just 36 years old. 

Jackson praised her, saying, “She was a sensitive soul. Incredibly funny and witty.” In her memoir 'This Is Me: A Reckoning', the actress had shared, “Other than Jonathan, I wasn’t close to anyone on set.”

Jonathan Jackson remembers Hayden Panettiere as 'focused, spontaneous and brilliant'

Jackson played the role of Avery Barkley, an aspiring musician who had a romantic relationship with Panettiere, who played pop-country star Juliette Barnes. He posted the Instagram note along with a carousel of photos from their time on 'Nashville'.

“I have no words to express the loss of our beloved Hayden,” Jackson began. “She had such a bright light within her. She was a sensitive soul. Incredibly funny and witty. Amazingly gifted, with a great sense of empathy and compassion.”

Panettiere “was an absolute joy to work with,” Jackson continued. “Focused, spontaneous and brilliant. The most important thing between friends and coworkers is trust, and we had this.” “The most important thing between friends and coworkers is trust, and we had this. Elisa and I both love and cherish her deeply, like our own sister,” he added.

“She holds that place in our hearts. My prayer for her every day we worked together was that she would know how loved she is, and that she would find the peace that she was looking for. It’s not possible to express the shock and grief that so many of us feel right now. Our humble prayers are with her family,” he shared.

“May God’s angels carry you to your place of rest and true peace. We love you, Hayden. You will always be in our hearts. Always,” he concluded.

Hayden Panettiere talked about Jonathan Jackson in her memoir

Panettiere recalled her relationship with Jackson in her memoir, released earlier this year, saying that although the co-stars would go their separate ways, she remembered that Jackson often invited her over. “Not wanting to make the long drive home, I often crashed in their guest room, grateful for a warm bed and a good friend who’d offered it to me,” she wrote.  

“But other than Jonathan, I wasn’t close to anyone on set. I couldn’t figure it out. We were all new faces in a strange town, yet we weren’t growing into friends,” the actress added.