Hayden Panettiere, the actress best known for Heroes and Nashville, has died at 36, with authorities continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding her sudden death.
Panettiere was found unresponsive inside a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday, August 16. Police and emergency medical personnel responded to a 911 call reporting an unresponsive woman and cardiac arrest, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to authorities, an acquaintance made the emergency call at about 1:51 p.m. local time. Paramedics attempted to revive Panettiere, but she could not be resuscitated.
Police have said there were no initial signs of foul play, while an autopsy found no trauma that contributed to her death. Her official cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and additional testing.
Some dispatch audio reportedly referenced an apparent overdose, but that has not been established as Panettiere’s official cause of death. Toxicology and other investigative findings are still pending.
The actress’s representative confirmed her death in a statement to ABC News, describing Panettiere as an “incredible light” who brought joy to those around her and to the millions who watched her work.
Panettiere became a familiar face to audiences as a child actor before reaching a new level of fame as Claire Bennet, the cheerleader with regenerative abilities on NBC’s Heroes. She later starred as country singer Juliette Barnes on Nashville, a performance that earned her multiple award nominations.
Her film credits included Remember the Titans, Raising Helen, Ice Princess, Scream 4 and Scream VI. She also voiced characters in major projects including the video game Until Dawn.
Away from the screen, Panettiere was increasingly open about the challenges that came with growing up in Hollywood. In her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, she discussed addiction, mental health, motherhood and the death of her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, who died in 2023 at 28.
Panettiere was also the mother of daughter Kaya, whom she shares with former professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
Her death comes just months after the release of her memoir, in which she reflected on some of the most difficult chapters of her life and her experience growing up in the public eye.
For now, authorities have not publicly established a final cause of death. The investigation and additional testing will determine what happened to the actress, whose career took her from childhood roles to some of television’s most recognizable shows.
Hayden Panettiere was 36.
