Actress Hayden Panettiere was found unresponsive on Sunday at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, and was later pronounced dead at the scene. She was 36 years old.
Authorities responded to a 911 call from an acquaintance who reported Panettiere was in cardiac arrest, according to reports. Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse opioid overdoses, was found at the apartment, though it is unclear if it was administered. Paramedics attempted resuscitation, but she was pronounced dead approximately 40 minutes after the initial call.
Police and the Greenville County Coroner's Office are investigating the death. Preliminary findings have not indicated foul play or suspicious circumstances. An autopsy has been completed, and no signs of trauma were discovered. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
Panettiere's father, Alan Lee Panettiere, confirmed her death in a statement, describing her as an "incredible light and a force of nature." He requested privacy for the family during their period of grief.
The news followed a period where Panettiere appeared to be in a better place. Her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," released in May, reached number four on The New York Times bestseller list. She had been traveling to promote the book, sharing updates on social media. Her last public post on July 27 featured a photo with a friend and the caption, "Good times and good friends."
However, the actress's life was marked by significant personal struggles. In a podcast interview earlier this year promoting her memoir, Panettiere spoke candidly about years of trauma, including losing custody of her daughter, the death of her brother Jansen in 2023, and a strained relationship with her mother. Despite these challenges, she expressed optimism about her future, telling the interviewer, "I finally feel like I have shaken off all this darkness and this negativity... I feel like I have a lot more life to live."
Panettiere's career began in childhood, with early roles on soap operas and television shows like "Malcolm in the Middle." She gained wider recognition for her role as Claire Bennet in the NBC series "Heroes" (2006-2010) and later starred as Juliette Barnes in the musical drama "Nashville" (2012-2018). She also appeared in the "Scream" film franchise.
An industry insider suggested that Panettiere's career momentum stalled due to mental health struggles and addiction issues. "The word had got out in Hollywood that she was a bit of a problem," the insider told the Daily Mail, adding that she was "on a downward swing recently due to lack of decent roles."
Her personal life was also marked by significant challenges. In 2018, she relinquished custody of her daughter, Kaya, to her ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko. Panettiere detailed in her memoir the difficulties she experienced after Kaya's birth, including postpartum depression and turning to alcohol. She wrote about the "gut-wrenching experience" of signing over custody, though she had initially believed it to be temporary.
Sources close to Panettiere indicated she felt significant guilt over her relationship with her daughter. Her relationship with her mother, Lesley Vogel, was also fraught. Panettiere described Vogel, who managed her career as a child, as having "groomed" her and placed pressure on her to succeed. The estrangement between them intensified, with Vogel cutting off contact with her daughter last year.
Panettiere also faced alleged abuse from her ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson. The pair dated on and off between 2018 and 2022, and she was reportedly traveling with him to South Carolina shortly before her death. Hickerson had previously pleaded no contest to felony counts of injuring Panettiere.
The death of her brother Jansen, who died in 2023 from complications related to drug use, was another profound loss for Panettiere. She expressed deep regret and guilt over her brother's struggles, feeling she should have understood and helped him more.
Panettiere's public life, marked by early fame and later struggles, ultimately ended tragically. Investigations into the circumstances of her death are ongoing.