Hayden Panettiere, the actress known for her roles in the television series "Heroes" and "Nashville," has died at the age of 36. Police and paramedics responded to a report of an unresponsive female at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances, according to a spokesperson for the City of Greenville Police Department. An acquaintance of Panettiere placed the 911 call.
Panettiere, who would have turned 37 on August 21, had a public life marked by significant personal struggles, including addiction and mental health challenges. Her family released a statement remembering her as an "incredible light" who brought "immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her."
Her career began in childhood, with early roles in soap operas and a notable appearance in the 2000 film "Remember the Titans." She gained wider recognition as cheerleader Claire Bennet in the NBC superhero drama "Heroes" (2006-2010) and later starred as country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on "Nashville" (2012-2018), earning two Golden Globe nominations for her performance.
Panettiere's film credits include "Bring It On: All Or Nothing" (2006), "Raising Helen" (2004), "Scream 4" (2011), and "Scream VI" (2023). She also voiced the character Dot in Pixar's 1998 film "A Bug's Life."
Her personal life included a high-profile relationship with boxer Wladimir Klitschko, with whom she had a daughter, Kaya, born in December 2014. The couple became engaged in 2013 but separated in 2018. Following their split, Panettiere made the difficult decision to grant full custody of Kaya to Klitschko, with their daughter moving to his native Ukraine. Panettiere later stated that by the time she had achieved sobriety, she felt it would be unfair to uproot Kaya from her established life.
Panettiere also had a tumultuous on-again, off-again relationship with Brian Hickerson, which was marred by domestic violence incidents and arrests. Hickerson pleaded no contest to felony counts of injuring a partner in 2021. Panettiere spoke out about her experiences, hoping to empower others in abusive relationships.
Earlier relationships included a romance with actor Stephen Colletti from 2006 to 2007 and a highly publicized, age-gap relationship with her "Heroes" co-star Milo Ventimiglia from 2007 to 2009, when she was 18 and he was 30.
Police and the coroner's office are continuing their investigation into Panettiere's death.