Following Connie Britton’s heartfelt tribute to Hayden Panettiere, who died Sunday at the age of 36, fellow Nashville alum Charles Esten also remembered his former co-star.

Esten was a late cast addition to the Nashville pilot and the last series regular to be announced in March 2012 on the country music drama about fading Nashville superstar Rayna James (Britton) who is forced to team up with teen sensation Juliette Barnes (Panettiere).

In his Instagram post Monday next to a gallery of photos with Panettiere from the show, Esten recounted his first audition for the role of guitarist and songwriter Deacon Claybourne in a soundstage office in Hollywood.

“I had read two Deacon scenes before pulling out my guitar and singing two songs. I said my goodbyes and, hoping I’d done well, went to open the door to leave. Instead of swinging all the way out, the door bumped into somebody. Kinda hard,” he wrote. “To my complete surprise, It was Hayden Panettiere, who – in full Juliette Barnes mode – had been listening with her ear to the door. Instead of looking even a little bit caught, her face instantly bloomed into the most beautiful smile. Eyes twinkling, she clapped her hands and said, ‘That was so good!!’ I can promise you that in that moment, there was nothing in the world I needed to hear more than that.”

That was the first time Esten met Panettiere who also was auditioning.

“It was her turn to go in, so as I went to leave, I said a jokingly cocky, “See you on the set!’,” he recalled.

Panettiere landed the role of Juliette weeks before Esten was cast after many rounds of testing.

When he showed up in Nashville, where the series was filmed, to start work, Panettiere “walked right up to me, pointed in my face, and with that magical grin said, ‘See you on the set!’,” Esten wrote. “From there, we became fast friends, working very hard to play those 2 troubled Nashvillians, but always having fun and laughing a whole lot along the way.”

As they butted heads at the start of Nashville, Rayna and Juliette also fought over Deacon. Rayna’s longtime guitarist, who had always been in love with her, accepted Juliette’s offer to co-write songs together and later joined her on tour. (In an unfortunate plot development, the two also hooked up in the third episode, something Nashville fans prefer to forget.)

“She was, of course, extraordinarily talented, infusing her larger-than-life character with all the heart, charisma, humor, whip-smart intelligence, and flat-out magic that were, alongside whatever troubles and pain she carried, a part of her own personal palette,” Esten wrote about Panettiere. “What a great gift it was to act with her, sing with her, and to just be her friend.”

On the show, both Deacon and Juliette struggled with alcoholism, something Panettiere had said hit too hold to home for her as it mirrored her real-life addition problems.

Esten also recalled Panettiere being “extremely kind” to his wife Patty.

“Together, we are heartbroken that she is gone, and praying for her family, and for all those who, like us, will miss and mourn her so dearly,” he wrote. “God bless you, Hayden. Rest In Peace and Light ❤️”

Earlier on Monday, Britton posted her own remembrance on IG, which also featured a series of photos from the set of Nashville.

“I have no words for this sad song. Just heartbreak,” she wrote. “I love you girl. Sleep easy now. 💔”

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith sounded off on the National Association of Black Journalists’ decision to give him the “Thumbs Down” award, noting the organization will “regret” it.

During a Monday appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity,” Smith weighed in on the snub from the NABJ, which he was given for his alleged “recurring public pattern of disparaging commentary directed at prominent Black women across politics, sports and media.”

However, Smith felt this was an inaccurate summary of his career, blasting it as “utterly ridiculous.”

“I was raised by five Black women. My mother, God rest her soul, and my four older sisters,” he told host Sean Hannity. “I have two daughters, I have 10 nieces. I don’t know what the hell they’re talking about.”

He continued: “I find it highly offensive that they would label me in this way, give me a thumbs down award specifically for disparaging Black women. I want everybody out there to know, there’s no such thing. That did not happen. That is a flat out lie.”

As Smith went on, he acknowledged that he may’ve disagreed with Jasmine Crockett, Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama in the past on certain topics or policies, but defended “that is all that I have done.”

“My point is, whether you agree or disagree, how does the word ‘disparaging’ come into play?” he sounded off. “Or to talk about me degrading, denigrating Black women? No. I have had a difference of opinion about something that they may have said and that is all. But a journalistic organization thats foundation is supposed to be based on objectivity – and most importantly uplifting African Americans within the journalism industry – well, excuse me. What have I accomplished in my career?”

Smith then highlighted his credentials, including the fact that he’s set to be inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame.

Despite his apparent frustrations, Smith maintained that he was not going to let the insult get the best of him, instead vowing to be even “more intense” moving forward.

“They will regret it because I’m not going away. If anything they made me more intense. They’ve made me more adamant about my position – and the manner in which I go about doing what I do,” he said. “Nobody is going to intimidate me from being who I am, and that is a fair minded individual.”

He added: “I’m not backing up one inch. As far as I’m concerned, all they’ve done is stirred me up.”

Watch the highlights from his Fox News interview above. A representative for the NABJ did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

Among the performances for which Hayden Panettiere has been most fondly remembered in light of her death at age 36 are her memorable turns in the Scream franchise.

Panettiere, who died Sunday, got her start as a child actress in projects like Remember the Titans before starring on such series as Heroes and Nashville and in features like Ice Princess and I Love You, Beth Cooper. In 2011, she originated the role of Kirby Reed in Scream 4 before reprising the character for 2023’s Scream VI after fans campaigned for her return.

“The world is losing a very talented actress and beautiful soul who has shared and been revealing about her struggles along the way,” Nancy Naylor, who worked as a casting director for Scream 4, tells The Hollywood Reporter. “One hopes that there’s a happy ending, but it doesn’t always turn out that way in real life.”

Scream 4 marked not only Panettiere’s introduction to the beloved slasher series that filmmaker Wes Craven initiated with 1996’s original movie, but it also served as Naylor’s first and only project in the franchise. She worked with fellow casting directors Avy Kaufman and Rick Rosenthal on the sequel that saw the return of franchise mainstays Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, along with the additions of series newcomers Emma Roberts, Mary McDonnell, Anthony Anderson and Alison Brie.

“Hayden had been known from Heroes and had been working as a child actress, and the industry was aware of her,” Naylor recalls. “When her name came up, she seemed like a really terrific contender for the role of Kirby and a great contrast to Emma Roberts. They were just visually and energetically very different, and we thought they would be great together.”

In Scream 4, Kirby (Panettiere) is a horror-obsessed Woodsboro high school student and the best friend to Jill, who is played by Roberts and is the cousin of Campbell’s character, Sidney. Naylor recalls Panettiere’s positive energy when she landed the part: “I remember thinking she felt very happy. She was very excited to be in the mix and to get the role.”

While reflecting on what made her stand out in the audition process, the casting director says, “It was her fierce warrior nature for the role. The character has this incredible scene where she’s on a phone call with Ghostface, and she has to save her friend and [rattle] off a giant list of genre films in a desperate hour. I knew that she would have the passion and the energy to make that scene so believable, so heartbreaking, so intense — and she absolutely delivered all of those qualities.”