A Tennessee pastor and celebrity evangelist, Dylan Novak, has spoken about meeting actress Hayden Panettiere in April 2024, describing a lingering sense of sadness he felt around her at the time, following her sudden death on 16 August. Novak, who founded Celebrity Evangelist Ministries after sharing his faith with over 2,000 famous figures, said he and his wife bonded with Panettiere over parenthood at a fan convention and shared their faith with her, but came away with a strong impression of underlying unhappiness that he later discussed with others who had worked with her.

Panettiere, known for roles in "Heroes", "Nashville" and "Remember the Titans", was found unresponsive at a South Carolina apartment complex; a preliminary autopsy found no signs of trauma, and her death remains under investigation. Novak said the news reinforced his sense of urgency about his ministry's work, which has also reached figures including Donald Trump, Tom Cruise and Ozzy Osbourne, the latter of whom reportedly kept a Bible given by Novak on his nightstand before his death in July 2025.