Star actress Hayden Panettiere was pronounced dead after she was found unresponsive in her Greeneville, South Carolina, home on Sunday (August 16). She was 36 years old.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Before the actress's passing, she was working on a project with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Better known as PETA. The campaign focused on the mistreatment of marine mammals.
Panettiere Did PETA Campaign Before Her Death
The ad features the Nashville star in her birthday suit in a bathtub. In an effort to drive home the point of how Marine Parks are unethical. In the ad, Panettiere poses the question "Could you live in a bathtub?" while imploring others to "Say no to marine parks," and "End cruel captivity."
"Imagine spending your entire life in a bathtub. That's what it is like for dolphins and whales in tiny tanks and marine amusement parks. We can end this, you and me," the Heroes actress says in a video recorded for the campaign (via PEOPLE).
The actress goes on to use dolphins as an example. Noting how they swim up to 60 miles a day in their normal habitat. But that is not the case in marine parks, where their freedom is extremely limited.
"Can you imagine their frustration, their trauma, their depression?" she asks.
Hayden's Mom Breaks Silence After Her Passing
Panettiere's family confirmed her death on Aug. 16.
In an exclusive phone interview with NBC News on Tuesday (August 18). Vogel spoke candidly about the "struggle" that Hayden and other child actors are faced with. And how it can ultimately drive them down the "wrong path."
"I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments," Vogel said to the outlet. "And I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry — it is a struggle. And it's a very challenging industry, and it's not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path."
Panettiere's mother also added: "I think it becomes very difficult to be true to yourself. And I think Hayden sadly lost her way, and I wish it were different. I wish she had stayed true to herself because she had many incredible attributes."
An official cause of death for the actress has not been released.
