‘Spy Kids’ Actor Alexa PenaVega Shares Heartbreak After Deaths of Fellow Child Stars Hayden Panettiere, Michelle Trachtenberg and Daveigh Chase: ‘Hug Your People Close Today’

Aug 17, 2026 3:07pm PT ‘Spy Kids’ Actor Alexa PenaVega Shares Heartbreak After Deaths of Fellow Child Stars Hayden Panettiere, Michelle Trachtenberg and Daveigh Chase: ‘Hug Your People Close Today’

By Zack Sharf

Plus Icon

Zack Sharf

Digital News Director

ZSharf

Latest

• Connie Britton Praises Hayden Panettiere’s ‘Brilliance’ After ‘Nashville’ Co-Star’s Death: ‘I Love You Girl. Sleep Easy Now’ 3 hours ago
• Rosie O’Donnell Says Wynonna Judd Is the Only Trump Supporter She Talks To: ‘I Give Her Grace’ Despite His ‘Misogyny, Racism and Homophobia’ 3 days ago
• Anne Hathaway Says ‘Movies That Kill Dogs Should Automatically Be Rated R’ 3 days ago

See All

Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection; Dimension Films/courtesy Everett Collection

Alexa PenaVega’s “heart is heavy” after the death of Hayden Panettiere, most notably because it marks the third passing of a fellow child star in 2026. The “Spy Kids” actor noted in a statement on social media that she rose to fame with and grew up alongside the likes of Panettiere, Michelle Trachtenberg and Daveigh Chase. All three actors died in their 30s between February and August.

“Hayden, Michelle, Daveigh… my heart is heavy today,” PenaVega wrote. “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. We were kids navigating something so big, and not everyone had the foundation or support they deserved.”

Popular on Variety

Related Stories

John Oliver Brutally Mocks Trump for Sacrificing Staff in Airplane-Swap Incident