Actress Hayden Panettiere dead at 36

[Bewitchingstorm]

Hayden Panettiere, the star of popular TV series including Heroes and Nashville, has died at age 36.

Panettiere's father, Skip, announced the actor's death in a statement provided to ABC News on Sunday. "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. 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," his statement said.

The cause of death has not yet been announced. Her publicist, Kasey Kitchen, told NBC News, "There's an investigation ongoing. We should know more tomorrow."

Police in Greenville, S.C., said in a statement that officers "accompanied by EMS personnel, responded to a report of an unresponsive female" at about 1:50 p.m. on Sunday.

The statement added, "Upon arrival, medical assistance was administered; however, the individual, later identified as Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene."

Panettiere, who would have turned 37 on Friday, began her career as a child actor in commercials and soap operas. ⁠She gained recognition voicing Dot, the young princess ant in Pixar's 1998 animated hit, A Bug's Life. ​

Her work on the film's read-along album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word ​Album for Children.

She was propelled to fame with her role as a cheerleader with superpowers in Heroes, which premiered on NBC in 2006.

She later played an up-and-coming country singer on Nashville.

She did her own singing in the show, which scored some hits on country charts and earned Panettiere two Golden Globe nominations.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/...074148449.html

[of_corpse_not]

I literally gasped out loud reading that headline

[Nic B]

I literally gasped out loud reading that headline

Same! Was not expecting this!!!!

I am guessing OD or suicide. I know she struggled with addiction and the loss of her brother.

[Bewitchingstorm]

TMZ obtained the dispatch audio of responders sending medics to her location to perform CPR on someone who overdosed.

We're told Greenville police officers and EMS workers quickly responded, and paramedics attempted to resuscitate Hayden using "advanced cardiac life support."

We're told paramedics also did chest compressions on Hayden, but nothing could bring her back to life, and she was pronounced dead at 2:32 PM.

https://www.tmz.com/2026/08/17/hayde...eenville-home/

[Nic B]

https://www.tmz.com/2026/08/17/hayde...eenville-home/

Had a feeling, so sad

[Angiebla]

I am shocked.

Didnt she just give up custody of her daughter?

Fuck, her drug use stemmed from severe post partum depression, after an emergency c-section that requires several blood transfusions. I wonder if she had complete placenta previa? Jesus thats so sad.

[curiouscat]

I saw this last night. So sad. She was in the headlines a lot recently.
No contact with mother, former co-worker drama, and giving up custody of her child.
I feel like it may have been self-cancelation, but they'll say it was an accidental overdose.
I hope she's in a better place. R.I.P.

[Nic B]

I am shocked.

Didnt she just give up custody of her daughter?

Fuck, her drug use stemmed from severe post partum depression, after an emergency c-section that requires several blood transfusions. I wonder if she had complete placenta previa? Jesus thats so sad.

I admit i never read up on her much, but I did see the baby daddy had custody. She recently wrote a book about all that, post partum, being a child actress, etc. Curious to read it now.

I know she struggled with losing her brother, and I saw a video online where she was doing an interview and she seemed....out of it. On something, for sure.

[Angiebla]

I saw this last night. So sad. She was in the headlines a lot recently.
No contact with mother, former co-worker drama, and giving up custody of her child.
I feel like it may have been self-cancelation, but they'll say it was an accidental overdose.
I hope she's in a better place. R.I.P.

I think a lot of OD deaths are suicides. People know thier tolerance.

[Angiebla]

I admit i never read up on her much, but I did see the baby daddy had custody. She recently wrote a book about all that, post partum, being a child actress, etc. Curious to read it now.

I know she struggled with losing her brother, and I saw a video online where she was doing an interview and she seemed....out of it. On something, for sure.

I will read that book.

Those poor parents lost both of thier kids.

They were saying she had Narcan in her apartment. That means nothing to me, I carry Narcan.

[Nic B]

I will read that book.

Those poor parents lost both of thier kids.

They were saying she had Narcan in her apartment. That means nothing to me, I carry Narcan.

Yeah, lots of people carry it. I know some doctors require it with some painkillers, when my dad got some after surgery, he couldn't get his pain meds without getting the narcan.

Does no good if you are by yourself, though :(

[Boston Babe 73]

I'm with the consensus here. I think that it was a suicide by OD, but they'll report it as an OD. It's very sad. She was way too young.

[Bewitchingstorm]

Hayden Panettiere‘s ex-fiancé and the father of her only child is mourning her death.

Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko shared a lengthy statement about Panettiere on Instagram following her death.

“Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief,” he captioned the Aug. 18 Instagram post. “The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon. Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya.”

“She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry,” Klitschko, 50, continued of the late actress. “Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives.”

The boxer vowed to protect Kaya’s memory of Panettiere as she will now grow up without a mother.

“To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was,” he wrote. “I extend my deepest condolences to Hayden’s parents, her friends, and her fans, who are also grieving today.”

“Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon,” Klitschko continued.

https://people.com/hayden-panettiere...tress-12061120

[marshmallow]

I will read that book.

Those poor parents lost both of thier kids.

They were saying she had Narcan in her apartment. That means nothing to me, I carry Narcan.

Yeah, lots of people carry it. I know some doctors require it with some painkillers, when my dad got some after surgery, he couldn't get his pain meds without getting the narcan.

Does no good if you are by yourself, though :(

https://people.com/hayden-panettiere...tress-12061120

I also have Narcan, both in our car and in the house. We lost a great nephew to fentanyl and just typing the words makes me tear up.

I may stand alone but I don't think it was a suicide. I think she ODed by accident.

[Bewitchingstorm]

I also have Narcan, both in our car and in the house. We lost a great nephew to fentanyl and just typing the words makes me tear up.

I may stand alone but I don't think it was a suicide. I think she ODed by accident.

I am so sorry to hear about your great nephew. How tragic.

I agree with you and feel it was an accidental overdose.

[Nic B]

I also have Narcan, both in our car and in the house. We lost a great nephew to fentanyl and just typing the words makes me tear up.

I may stand alone but I don't think it was a suicide. I think she ODed by accident.

I agree with that, I think it was an accident.

I'm so sorry for your loss, fentanyl is HORRIBLE. Takes way too many good people.

[marshmallow]

I agree with that, I think it was an accident.

I'm so sorry for your loss, fentanyl is HORRIBLE. Takes way too many good people.

We had just had my brother-in-law here to help get their mom's condo sold, etc. They left here headed towards home and got the news. It was and is still devastating. He was such a loveable kid. No known drug issues but one time is all it takes for fentanyl to take you out.

[Nomad]

I was so sad reading about this yesterday when I saw the news. I haven't seen a lot of her work, but I did just see Scream IV and I thought she was wonderful in that. I loved her character and the way she approached the role. After seeing her in that I decided to gradually check out some of ther other films and shows, but hadn't gotten around to it yet. It'll be bittersweet now when I see her because of this.

I would hate to be famous, and thankfully I have no talent whatsoever so I will never have the opportunity to become famous. It gets to people, especially when they start their careers so young. All of the scrutiny that comes with being in the public eye has to be almost impossible to handle for a lot of people, and I don't know how they do it - and I'm also not surprised that things like this happen, because I think we, as a sociey, put too much pressure on celebrities to live perfect lives.

[Bewitchingstorm]

I was so sad reading about this yesterday when I saw the news. I haven't seen a lot of her work, but I did just see Scream IV and I thought she was wonderful in that. I loved her character and the way she approached the role. After seeing her in that I decided to gradually check out some of ther other films and shows, but hadn't gotten around to it yet. It'll be bittersweet now when I see her because of this.

I would hate to be famous, and thankfully I have no talent whatsoever so I will never have the opportunity to become famous. It gets to people, especially when they start their careers so young. All of the scrutiny that comes with being in the public eye has to be almost impossible to handle for a lot of people, and I don't know how they do it - and I'm also not surprised that things like this happen, because I think we, as a sociey, put too much pressure on celebrities to live perfect lives.

Very well said. I read that she started in the business at 11 months old (commercials), so she literally spent her entire life in it.

[Nic B]

Very well said. I read that she started in the business at 11 months old (commercials), so she literally spent her entire life in it.

I remember her in Law & Order SVU as a kid. She was in another season as a teen, too.

[marshmallow]

I have a deep love of sports movies so I remember her in Remember The Titans. She was so young in it, I cannot fully grasp the pressure that comes with fame at a young age.

[Bewitchingstorm]

I have a deep love of sports movies so I remember her in Remember The Titans. She was so young in it, I cannot fully grasp the pressure that comes with fame at a young age.

Oh, I forgot she was in that one. She was very good in it.

[marshmallow]

We had just had my brother-in-law here to help get their mom's condo sold, etc. They left here headed towards home and got the news. It was and is still devastating. He was such a loveable kid. No known drug issues but one time is all it takes for fentanyl to take you out.

I'd like to add that he was a good kid, had graduated HS, had a sweet girlfriend, a family who loved him, a future waiting for him. Everyone says it's unexpected and it really is.
I don't know exactly what her (Hayden's) autopsy will show but I do know that no one expects one small moment to be the last. Whether it's one time, or many times or a life time, of drugs... when it happen the loss and the pain still feel the same.

[raisedbywolves]

https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity...ails-revealed/

Panettiere’s autopsy was completed on Monday. “At autopsy no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death,” the coroner’s office added.

use and manner of death “remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies,” with the statement concluding, “This investigation remains active and ongoing. No further details are available for release at this time.”

Panettiere entered treatment for a third time in 2020, spending eight months in rehab. “I was truly scared,” she recalled. “I had pushed my body to a point where my eyes turned yellow, I was struggling with jaundice, and [not having the] courage to exit my house. I went to the doctor and had a blood test and he, in no uncertain terms, told me that if you do not put a stop to this right now, then your body’s not going to be able to recover. I started doing research about liver transplants and read [that] even if you get [one], that could only buy you five years of life. And so I was like, ‘This is very, very serious, and this has gotten completely out of hand, and I can’t seem to find the strength to do it myself.’”