Archive · 23 Aug 2026
Hayden Panettiere’s Life, Struggles and Death Remain Under Investigation
Hayden Panettiere became an actor when she was very young.
She became especially famous for the shows "Heroes" and "Nashville."
As an adult, she talked openly about addiction, depression after having a baby, violence in a relationship and losing her brother.
She also said that being famous as a child had been difficult for her.
On August 16, emergency workers found her unconscious and in cardiac arrest at a home in South Carolina.
People at the residence tried CPR, and Narcan was reportedly given.
Some emergency information suggested a possible overdose, but officials have not confirmed that one happened.
Her autopsy found no signs of injuries.
Investigators were waiting for toxicology results to determine what caused her death.
Hayden Panettiere began acting as an infant and became famous through "Heroes" and "Nashville."
She publicly discussed addiction, postpartum depression, domestic violence and the pressures of child stardom.
Panettiere sent her daughter, Kaya, to live with Wladimir Klitschko in Ukraine in 2018.
Emergency responders found Panettiere in cardiac arrest at a Greenville, South Carolina, residence on August 16.
An autopsy found no trauma, while her cause of death remained undetermined pending toxicology results.
- Who
- Actor Hayden Panettiere, age 36, was found in cardiac arrest; emergency responders, police and people at the residence were involved.
- What
- Panettiere died after being found unresponsive, while officials investigated the cause of death.
- When
- Emergency responders were called around 1:51 p.m. on August 16, and Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.
- Where
- A residence in Greenville, South Carolina.
- Why
- The cause of death remained undetermined pending toxicology results; a possible overdose was suggested in dispatch audio but was not confirmed.
Confirmed Findings
Unconfirmed Possibilities
Cause of death
Confirmed Findings
The autopsy found no trauma, and officials said the cause remained undetermined pending toxicology results.
Unconfirmed Possibilities
Dispatch audio suggested a possible overdose, and Narcan was reportedly administered, but officials had not confirmed an overdose.
What happened before responders arrived
Confirmed Findings
Police records state that Brian and Zach Hickerson called for help after finding Panettiere unresponsive.
Unconfirmed Possibilities
Zach Hickerson told TMZ that the brothers found her after trying to wake her from a nap, administered Narcan and performed CPR.
Investigation status
Confirmed Findings
The death was being investigated, and the Drug Enforcement Administration joined the investigation on August 20.
Unconfirmed Possibilities
No publicly released body-camera footage or confirmed toxicology conclusion was reported.
- Age at death
- 36
- Breakthrough role
- Claire Bennet in NBC’s "Heroes"
- Daughter
- Kaya, born in December 2014
- Former fiancé
- Boxer Wladimir Klitschko
- Emergency call
- Around 1:51 p.m. on August 16
- Pronounced dead
- 2:32 p.m., according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office
- Autopsy finding
- No signs of trauma; toxicology results were pending