Hayden Panettiere cancels horror show gig due to 'emergency'

Hayden Panettiere has cancelled her Creep I.E. Con appearance at the last minute due to a family emergency.

The convention, which is taking place on 11 and 12 July in Ontario, California, announced the news via Instagram.

"Hayden Panettiere has an emergency and will not be able to attend this weekend. We are looking forward to her appearing at an upcoming show," the statement read.

In a statement shared with People magazine, a representative for the star elaborated, "Hayden cancelled her appearance due to a private family matter concerning the health of an elderly relative."

In her place, Lolita star Dominique Swain was announced as a new guest who will appear on both days of the event.

Panettiere was slated to appear alongside her Scream 4 co-star Nico Tortorella in a reunion of sorts for the two horror stars.

Other celebs expected to make an appearance this weekend include Christopher Lloyd, Mira Sorvino, Tara Reid, Billy Zane and Jamie Campbell.

Panettiere joins a list of famous faces who have also pulled out of the convention, including Tori Spelling, who starred in the second instalment in the Scream franchise.

Christina Ricci, John Carroll Lynch and Carel Struycken also rescheduled their appearances for a later date.

Panettiere has been making headlines recently during the press tour for her new memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.