“They are girls I grew up with”. 💔 This is how Alexa PenaVega remembered Hayden Panettiere, Michelle Trachtenberg and Daveigh Chase, three actresses who, like her, started out as children in Hollywood and died before turning 40.
For the star of *Spy Kids*, their names did not simply belong to films that defined the 2000s. “We shared a world that was exciting and, at the same time, incredibly tough”, she confessed. They were girls trying to navigate a huge industry and, as Alexa reflected, not all of them had the foundation or support they needed to face it.
Michelle Trachtenberg died in February 2025 at the age of 39. Daveigh Chase died in July 2026 at 35, and now the death of Hayden Panettiere, at 36, has once again struck that generation of young actresses who grew up practically before our eyes. For Alexa, it also means saying goodbye once again to someone who was part of her own childhood.
Perhaps that is why her final words were so simple. While assuring that she was also thinking of those who are still facing battles others cannot see, Alexa made a request of everyone: “Hug your loved ones tight today”.
Because when three of the people you grew up with leave so young, you probably stop taking for granted that there will always be a tomorrow to do it. 💔