Hayden Panettiere had plans to celebrate her 37th birthday with family and friends, including reuniting with her "Nashville" co-stars in South Carolina and visiting her daughter in Europe, before her death on Sunday. She was 36.
Panettiere's former "Nashville" co-star Sylvia Jefferies told Page Six that they had planned to attend a performance by castmate Charles Esten in Greenville, South Carolina, on August 14. Jefferies and Panettiere had reconnected in June while Panettiere was promoting her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning."
"We were going to try to surprise him because it was my birthday and then her birthday, of course, is on Friday," Jefferies said, referring to Panettiere's birthday on August 16. "But that didn’t happen."
Jefferies described Panettiere's excitement about the plan: "She’s like, ‘Oh, mama, that sounds like so much fun. Let me see what I can do.’" Jefferies added, "It just kind of tears you up. … It just was devastating."
Authorities responded to an Airbnb at the Judson Mill Lofts apartment complex in South Carolina on Sunday, August 17, for a suspected overdose. Panettiere was pronounced dead at the scene. Her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach, were at the apartment at the time of her death. The coroner is awaiting toxicology results to determine the official cause and manner of death.
In addition to her planned reunion with co-stars, Panettiere had also intended to travel to Germany to spend time with her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shares with her ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko. "She was planning on spending the week of her birthday visiting her daughter in Germany," a source close to Panettiere told Page Six. "She was so excited to see her and was telling everyone how much she was looking forward to spending time with her."
Panettiere would have turned 37 on August 16. Klitschko, 50, posted a tribute on Instagram on her birthday, writing, "Today is Hayden’s birthday. Instead of celebrating the way we had planned, today we celebrate her life, her spirit, and the love she brought into this world."
He thanked fans and friends for their support, adding, "At a time filled with so much sadness, your kindness has reminded me that there is still so much good in humanity."
Klitschko concluded his message by encouraging kindness and love, writing, "Love is a superpower. Use it. Happy Birthday, Hayden. ❤️ You are loved, you are missed, and you will never be forgotten."