Hayden Panettiere, star of 'Heroes' and 'Nashville,' dies at 36

Actress Hayden Panettiere, who rose to fame as a teenager in the NBC series "Heroes" and later starred for six seasons on ABC's "Nashville," died on Aug. 16 at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina. She was 36.

First responders were called to the Judson Mill Lofts apartment complex shortly before 2 p.m. after Panettiere's boyfriend and his brother found her unresponsive and called 911, according to local police accounts of the call. Emergency crews administered CPR and advanced cardiac life support, but she was pronounced dead at 2:31 p.m.

What investigators have said

The Greenville County Coroner's Office, led by Coroner Mike Ellis, completed an autopsy the following morning and said it found no visible injuries or trauma and no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. The office said Panettiere's official cause and manner of death remain pending further toxicology testing and additional studies, a process that in South Carolina typically takes several weeks. The Drug Enforcement Administration has since joined the Greenville Police Department's parallel investigation, according to reporting on the case, though no cause of death has been announced. An attorney for Panettiere's boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, said in a statement that "police confirmed there were no signs of foul play" and that, "out of respect for Hayden's loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time." Panettiere's father asked for privacy "as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss."

Investigators with the Greenville Police Department's Violent Crimes Unit executed a search warrant at the apartment in the days after Panettiere's death and reviewed surveillance footage showing her, Hickerson and his brother arriving at and later leaving the building, according to local reporting on the case. Police have said the review is standard procedure in any sudden, unattended death and does not by itself indicate suspicion of wrongdoing. Her body was formally released by the coroner's office to her family several days later.

A career that began in childhood

Panettiere started acting professionally before she was old enough for kindergarten, appearing in commercials and on the soap opera "Guiding Light" in the late 1990s. She became a familiar face to moviegoers as a child actor in "Remember the Titans" (2000) and "Raising Helen" (2004), then as the title figure's rival in "Bring It On: All or Nothing" and the lead of the figure-skating drama "Ice Princess" (2005), opposite Kim Cattrall.

Her breakout role came in 2006, when she was cast as Claire Bennet, the indestructible cheerleader at the center of NBC's superhero drama "Heroes," a part she played across four seasons. She went on to headline "Nashville," ABC's music-industry drama, as country star Juliette Barnes for six seasons beginning in 2012, earning a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination along the way. She also appeared in three "Scream" films, opposite Neve Campbell and Emma Roberts, and voiced Kate Bishop in Marvel's animated "Ultimate Spider-Man" series.

In May, Panettiere published a memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," through Hachette Book Group's Grand Central Publishing imprint, narrating the audiobook herself. The book, which reached the top of Amazon's biography chart within hours of release, described her struggles with alcohol and opioid addiction, postpartum depression, and what she said was an abusive relationship with a former partner — material she had first discussed publicly in interviews years earlier and expanded on at length in the memoir.

Panettiere also wrote candidly about her decision, following a relationship with former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, to let their daughter, Kaya, live primarily with her father after the couple separated in 2018, a choice she made while managing severe postpartum depression. She called the arrangement, which she described as made in her daughter's best interest, "the most gut-wrenching experience of my life" in the memoir, and spoke as recently as July, in an interview with the parenting outlet Momé, about rebuilding her relationship with Kaya, whom she called her "mini-me."

Who is mourning her

The screen actors' union SAG-AFTRA, of which Panettiere had been a member since 1994, said in a statement that it joined "in mourning the sudden passing of Hayden Panettiere," adding that "our hearts are with her daughter, family, friends and fans." Tributes followed quickly from castmates across her career. "Nashville" co-star Connie Britton wrote, "This was Hayden. Bursting with brilliance, shining so bright." Her onscreen love interest on that show, Jonathan Jackson, called her "an absolute joy to work with. Focused, spontaneous and brilliant." From "Heroes," Masi Oka said he was "absolutely heartbroken," describing her as "wise and kind beyond her years," while castmate Sendhil Ramamurthy recalled that she "stuck up for background actors when they were mistreated."

"What an amazing talent you were ... so gifted," Viola Davis, who appeared alongside Panettiere in the 2016 film "Custody," wrote in tribute.

"Scream" co-stars Neve Campbell and Emma Roberts also paid tribute, as did Kim Cattrall, her "Ice Princess" co-star. Actress and former child star Melissa Gilbert, in remarks reported by trade press, said Panettiere's death should prompt renewed attention to protections for children working in the entertainment industry, given how young Panettiere was when she entered the business.

What happens next

The Greenville County Coroner's Office has not set a timeline for releasing toxicology results, and investigators have not said whether any charges are being considered in connection with the death. Panettiere's body was released to her family this past week for private funeral arrangements, which have not been made public. Her family, in its statement, asked that the public respect their privacy while the investigation continues; no memorial service details had been announced as of publication.