Jump to contentAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleFormer child star Anna Paquin has condemned the treatment of young female performers following the death of Heroes and Nashville actor Hayden Panettiere at the age of 36.Paquin, who won an Oscar at 11 for her role in The Piano, wrote on Instagram: “It’s not a coincidence that so many former, specifically pre-sexualized female, child ‘stars’ have profoundly sad lives and untimely ends.” She added: “We were not as protected by the ‘systems’ that look great on paper as we are supposed to be.”Paquin highlighted the untimely deaths of other former child actors, including Michelle Trachtenberg and Daveigh Chase.Actor Rose McGowan also spoke out against child acting following Panettiere's death, urging parents not to put children into show business. In fullAnna Paquin calls out practice of child acting as she pays tribute to Hayden Panettiere: ‘We were not protected’More bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

While the culture around child stars has changed since Panettiere grew up, sources told NBC News that fully protecting young performers from harm remains nearly impossible.

Jump to contentAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleActor Hayden Panettiere died at the age of 36 after being found in cardiac arrest at an apartment in South Carolina. An autopsy revealed…