After Panettiere’s death Aug. 16, her Guiding Light costar Bethany Joy Lenz was one of many who shared heartbreaking memories from their years-long friendship.
“I’m crushed,” Bethany wrote in an Instagram post. “I knew the wild little blonde. Was she nine? Ten? I was eighteen. She ran through the Screen Gem studio hallways at 222 E44th St. laughing and playing games in between blocking and camera rehearsals. Long, unruly curls trailing behind her. She knew her lines and everyone else’s. Her intelligence was astonishing.”
Noting that the pair would “connect on and off over the years,” Bethany detailed feeling joy when they “were lucky enough to cross paths.”
“I dont understand how this is real,” she continued. “Everything seemed to be turning around. She was coming BACK to life, wasn’t she? It’s too young and there’s still so much more life. And her daughter…. Hayden, you are surround by love. I’m sorry for every moment I didn’t reach out or check in. This can’t be real..”