Actress Hayden Panettiere has died aged 36 after suffering a suspected overdose at a loft apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday.
The star was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:32 pm, just over 40 minutes after emergency services received a first 911 call at 1:51 pm.
In an audio recording of the 911 call, a female dispatcher described Panettiere as suffering a "cardiac arrest" before a male dispatcher stated a few moments later that she had suffered a suspected overdose at the home.
Narcan, a nasal spray used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, was found on a mattress inside the loft apartment where Panettiere was staying, TMZ reported. It remains unclear whether the medication had been administered in an attempt to revive her.
The Greenville County Coroner's Office and the Greenville County Sheriff's Office confirmed on Monday that an autopsy had been completed on the actress, who was due to turn 37 this Friday. The coroner stated that no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to her death.
Panettiere was found "unresponsive inside the residence, where she had been temporarily staying," the coroner said in an official statement.
Authorities said the preliminary investigation indicated no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances, though investigators will carry out additional studies to determine the cause and exact manner of death. Greenville County Chief Deputy Coroner Shelton England told the Daily Mail it was too early to discuss the drug overdose theory.
Chaos at the Scene
A neighbor living at the Judson Mill Lofts complex described the chaotic scene that unfolded in the building after the actress was discovered unresponsive and efforts to revive her failed.
Micah Lee told local news station WYFF that there was a "bunch of commotion in the hallway" after Panettiere allegedly "collapsed" in one of the units.
"The halls are pretty hollow, so noise echoes throughout. And I had just heard about someone collapsing," Lee told WYFF. "And then afterwards there was talk about cardiac arrest. I can't confirm any of that. That's just what I've heard."
Panettiere and her ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson, a real estate agent, had reportedly flown together from Los Angeles to South Carolina one day before her death. Public records show that Hickerson is originally from Greenville, though it remains unclear whether the pair were visiting his family.
The Judson Mill Lofts complex is a former textile mill dating back to 1912 that was recently converted into studio and three-bedroom apartments renting for $1,295 to $3,485 a month. On Friday night, Panettiere's former Nashville co-star Charles Esten had performed at The Foundry, a music venue located inside the complex, as part of his Carolina Tour.
Panettiere had previously relied on crutches for assistance while walking as she battled a painful back injury, having been photographed hobbling through Los Angeles International Airport alongside Hickerson in March.
Family Tributes
Following the tragedy, a representative for Panettiere confirmed her death, stating that her family would remember her as an "incredible light" who brought "immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her."
In a statement, her father Skip Panettiere expressed profound heartbreak over the loss. "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden," he said. "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."
Her father requested privacy for the family as they "take time to process this unimaginable loss."
Panettiere had been open about her past struggles with drug addiction, which began when she was 15 years old. At the time, she said she was introduced to "happy pills" in an effort to make her appear more "peppy" during press interviews.
Her addiction worsened while battling postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter Kaya in 2014. In a 2022 interview with People magazine, Panettiere stated that she had been sober in recent years, calling recovery "an everyday battle."
"It's an everyday choice, and I'm checking in with myself all the time," Panettiere told People. "But I'm just so grateful to be part of this world again, and I will never take it for granted again."
Motherhood and Custody
Panettiere leaves behind her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with her former fiancé, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko. During childbirth in 2014, Panettiere suffered severe complications, hemorrhaging before undergoing seven blood transfusions and emergency surgery to repair failing blood vessels.
"I closed my eyes and just prayed for my daughter to be OK. I truly was ready to go if it was my time. Kaya being safe and healthy was all that mattered," she recalled of the ordeal.
Days after giving birth, Panettiere experienced postnatal depression and felt "nothing" when looking at her newborn child. She subsequently turned to drinking, explaining: "I turned to wine, which ultimately ended up leading to an alcohol dependency. It was how I would get through each day."
Although she completed rehabilitation treatment, Panettiere felt that the root cause of her drinking, her underlying depression, had not been addressed at the time. She later relinquished full custody of Kaya to Klitschko, with her daughter living in Europe with her father.
Addressing the custody arrangement during a recent appearance on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast, Panettiere insisted she "desperately" needed help at the time and emphasized that Kaya did not feel "abandoned."
"The idea that anybody would think that I would just give away my child and be okay with it is heartbreaking. Couldn't be further from the truth," Panettiere said. "I was struggling with mental health and anxiety and postpartum and having to act my way through it, and just feeling like I completely lost myself."
She added that the choice was not one she made lightly or wanted to make, stating: "I was going through a really challenging time in my life... I knew I needed to be able to put her first so that I could get the help I needed and be the mum she needed me to be."
Six years after giving up custody, Panettiere reflected on her close bond with her daughter: "I love my daughter, and I'm so proud of the young woman she is becoming. I talk to her all the time, and I feel so connected to her. She's like a mini-me." She called herself "resilient" and a "work in progress" who was "doing the work... and doing my best."
Memoir and Acting Career
In May, Panettiere published her memoir, titled This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she wrote candidly about the ongoing pain of being separated from her daughter.
"Not being under the same roof with her every day has been the most gut-wrenching experience of my life, and it's hard to describe the layers of emotion, including sadness, resentment, and anger, I've felt because of it," she wrote in the book.
"I grieve that I'm not the mother I thought I'd be and definitely not the mother I want to be (trust me, no one should ever have to raise a child on FaceTime), and although I miss Kaya so much my heart aches, I know how blessed I am to be her mom," Panettiere added, describing Kaya as "the greatest gift of my life, with all the best parts of her father and me."
Panettiere rose to international fame playing cheerleader Claire Bennet on the hit NBC superhero drama series Heroes.
She later starred as country singer Juliette Barnes on the ABC musical drama series Nashville, releasing a series of her own musical tracks throughout the show's run.
