Commentary: By speaking her truth, Hayden Panettiere broke the silence around postpartum depression

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Set us as preferred When celebrities die young, death itself too often becomes their primary legacy.As evidence of the dark side of fame or a reminder that no one is immune from the cruel quirks of mortality, an untimely end imprints itself dark and wide, dominating the other realities of the life as it was lived.Let’s not allow that to happen to Hayden Panettiere.Panettiere’s legacy began evolving from the moment her unexpected death was reported Sunday.

After a 911 call, the star, best known for her roles in “Heroes” and “Nashville,” was found unresponsive following what was characterized as a cardiac episode.The cause of her death, though not immediately known, sparked the inevitable speculation.

The word “overdose” was reportedly used by first responders at the scene and Panettiere has long been open about her struggles with drugs and alcohol, most recently in her memoir “This Is Me,” released in May.In the book and elsewhere she has, in fact, been open about many things — the family-destabilizing price that fame can exact from child/young adult actors; the perils of drug and alcohol abuse; the horrors of domestic violence; the grief over losing a beloved sibling; and, perhaps most important, society’s seemingly willful ignorance of the symptoms and realities of postpartum depression.In the hours following her death, many praised her talent and ability to shine in a more-than-three-decade career that also included “One Life to Live,” “Remember the Titans,” “Bring It On: All or Nothing” and films in the “Scream” franchise.During “Heroes’” white-hot initial season in 2006, she was the star of the year’s biggest tagline: “Save the cheerleader, save the world.”But if all actors aspire to be truth tellers, Panettiere actually was.Reading “This Is Me” now, it is impossi...