Actress Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in the television series "Heroes" and "Nashville," has died at the age of 36. Police responded to a 911 call about an unresponsive female at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday, and she was pronounced deceased at the scene. Authorities stated that the preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.
Panettiere's representative confirmed her death, and her father, Skip Panettiere, released a statement remembering her as an "incredible light" who brought "immeasurable love and joy." The cause of death has not yet been announced.
Her last public interview took place on May 20, coinciding with the promotion of her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning." During the interview at LaGuardia Airport, she was asked about anecdotes from her book, including an alleged incident on a yacht in the South of France and her first experience with psychedelic mushrooms while filming "Scream 4." Panettiere smiled and laughed but declined to answer directly, later walking away with a friend.
Her final public appearance was on May 26 at a book signing in Los Angeles. Earlier in July, she had withdrawn from a fan convention due to a family emergency, which her representative stated was related to the health of an elderly relative.
Panettiere began her acting career as a child, appearing in soap operas and gaining wider recognition for her role in the 2000 film "Remember the Titans" and as the voice of Dot in Pixar's "A Bug's Life." She achieved significant fame as cheerleader Claire Bennet in "Heroes" and later as country singer Juliette Barnes in "Nashville," a role that earned her two Golden Globe nominations. Her filmography also includes "Bring It On: All Or Nothing," "Raising Helen," "Scream 4," and "Scream VI."
In her memoir, Panettiere detailed struggles with addiction and mental health throughout her 20s, as well as the loss of her younger brother, Jansen. She also discussed her decision to grant full custody of her daughter, Kaya, to her former partner, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, in 2018, explaining that her own mental health and addiction struggles at the time made full-time parenting challenging.