Connie Britton Reveals Details About Memorial Event For ‘Nashville’ Co-Star Hayden Panettiere

Weeks after she attended a memorial for her Nashville co-star Hayden Panettiere, Connie Britton opens up about the emotional event.

In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Britton recalled attending the event on Sept. 18 with fellow Nashville alum Charles Esten, who also performed to honor Panettiere.

“We just bawled,” she said. “I’m finding solace and connection within the community of people who still remain.”

Britton went on to reflect on working with Panettiere while filming Nashville in Tennessee. The duo starred on the show from 2012 to 2018.

“I really was looking for my village when I moved there with my tiny baby, and I needed help,” she said, noting she and son Yoby moved to near the show’s set. “Every time Yoby was on set, and Hayden was there, she’d just stop everything. Everything became about Yoby. it just felt like sweetness.”

Panettiere suddenly passed away on August 16 at the age of 36. Her cause of death was later revealed to be the toxic effects of multiple drugs, including fentanyl, 4-ANPP, Alprazolam, Methocarbamol, and Quetiapine. The actress’s death was ruled an accident.

In her recently released memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, Panettiere reflected on working alongside Britton on Nashville.

“My character wasn’t intended to be the show’s star — not even close,” she wrote. “That honor went to Connie, whose Rayna Jaymes was in the twilight of her career, facing a dramatic turning point thanks to yours truly.”

However, when she became a favorite on the show, Panettiere admitted she felt “uncomfortable” because she wasn’t at the same level of stardom as Britton.

“I was 23 years old, and Connie was in her 40s with three Emmy nominations under her belt,” the late actress shared. “She was also a new mom. This should have been her time to shine, and while it was in many respects, I was terrified of making Connie worry that I — not my character — was trying to compete with her. … I was not going to step on the toes of Rayna Jaymes or Connie Britton.”