Connie Britton details emotional Hayden Panettiere memorial service that excluded late star's mother and ex-lover: 'We all just bawled'

Connie Britton opened up about the emotional mood at the memorial service for Hayden Panettiere last month in Malibu.

'We all just bawled,' the actress, 59, told People Tuesday of the September 19 gathering at the Malibu Pacific Church. 'I'm finding solace and connection within the community of people who still remain.'

The Boston-born star worked with Panettiere on six seasons of the series Nashville from 2012 until 2018, playing the respective roles of Rayna Jaymes and Juliette Barnes.

Britton told the publication that she had moved to Tennessee with her then-baby son Yoby (now 15), who Panettiere doted on.

'I really was looking for my village when I moved there with my tiny baby, and I needed help,' Britton said. 'Every time Yoby was on set and Hayden was there, she'd just stop everything. Everything became about Yoby. It just felt like sweetness.'

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Britton and Panettiere for further comment on the story.

Panettiere died this past August 16 at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina at the age of 36. 

The Greenville County Coroner’s Office previously confirmed to The Daily Mail that the actress died of an accidental drug overdose which involved fentanyl.

Britton was one of about 150 people in attendance at the service and also a speaker, sources told TMZ. Other speakers at the event included Sanoe Lake, Brad Farkas, Allie Beattie, Evan Ross, Jeff Beacher, Marnie Alton, Kasey Kitchen and Ben Smith.

The performers listed under the music & dance portion of the program were Chau Pan and Mathew Engst; Kaala Clarke, Isabella D'Amore and Charles Esten, the outlet reported.

Panettiere's father Alan 'Skip' Panettiere was on hand, while her mother Lesley Vogel was not (amid a family emergency), as well as her on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach, sources told TMZ. 

Britton paid tribute to her late castmate the day after she died in an emotional Instagram post, sharing a series of photos of the late star.

'This was Hayden,' she said. 'Bursting with brilliance, shining so bright. I have no words for this sad song. Just heartbreak. I love you girl. Sleep easy now.'

Panettiere wrote about the dynamics at play when she worked with Britton during their time on Nashville in her book This Is Me: A Reckoning.

She wrote she 'was deeply uncomfortable' as her star rose fast on the show, not wanting Britton to feel threatened by her professionally.

Panettiere said in the book: 'My character wasn't intended to be the show's star - not even close. That honor went to Connie, whose Rayna Jaymes was in the twilight of her career, facing a dramatic turning point thanks to yours truly.'

She added, 'I went from maybe number five in terms of importance to nipping at Connie's heels.

'I was 23 years old, and Connie was in her 40s with three Emmy nominations under her belt. 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.'

Panettiere said that she was 'not going to step on the toes of Rayna Jaymes or Connie Britton.'