Actress Hayden Panettiere died on Sunday at the age of 36, and preliminary investigations have not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances, according to reports. Panettiere reportedly traveled from Los Angeles to South Carolina on Saturday with her on-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.
Greenville police stated that an acquaintance called emergency services on Sunday afternoon. Officers and EMS personnel responded to a report of an unresponsive female at approximately 1:50 p.m. Medical assistance was administered, but Panettiere was pronounced deceased at the scene. The Greenville Police Department and the Greenville County Coroner's Office are investigating the case.
Panettiere was due to celebrate her 37th birthday on the upcoming Friday. Her representative confirmed that officials are investigating the circumstances surrounding her death and that further details are expected.
"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden," her father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement. "She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen." He also requested privacy for the family as they grieve.
Panettiere and Hickerson, a real-estate agent, had an on-again, off-again relationship between 2018 and 2022, which was marked by domestic violence incidents and arrests. In April 2021, Hickerson was sentenced to 45 days in county jail after pleading no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend. In May, Hickerson stated he still dreamt of marrying Panettiere, despite admitting to abusing her, though he also acknowledged their relationship was not healthy.
In May, Panettiere commented on Hickerson's remarks about marriage, telling TMZ, "I don't think that's going to happen." Discussing their past relationship and her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," she told Us Weekly that it was an "embarrassing subject" and that she struggled to comprehend allowing such a situation to happen to her. The memoir also addressed her struggles with addiction and postpartum depression.