Hayden Panettiere, the former child star who became a household name on Heroes and Nashville, died suddenly at 36 on Sunday, Aug. 16, in Greenville, S.C.
Hayden Panettiere, the former child star who became a household name on Heroes and Nashville, died suddenly at 36 on Sunday, Aug. 16, in Greenville, South Carolina, just six days before her 37th birthday.
Police and EMS responded around 1:50–1:51 p.m. to an apartment after a report of an unresponsive woman. An acquaintance or friend made the 911 call. Dispatch described an apparent cardiac arrest and, in a separate transmission, a possible overdose; the latter was not an established cause of death. Paramedics attempted advanced cardiac life support, and Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.
Police said the preliminary investigation found no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. The case remained under investigation with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, an autopsy was planned, and no official cause of death had been announced.
Panettiere began working in entertainment as an infant and made her acting debut in "One Life to Live" in 1994. She voiced Princess Dot in "A Bug’s Life" at 9 and appeared in "Remember the Titans" at 10. She became widely known as Claire Bennet on "Heroes", starred as Juliette Barnes on all six seasons of "Nashville" (2012–2018), and returned as Kirby Reed in "Scream VI" in 2023. Her other films included "Ice Princess," "Racing Stripes," "Raising Helen," and "Scream 4."
She was the mother of daughter Kaya Klitschko, born in 2014 with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. Her brother, Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at 28 from cardiomegaly and aortic valve complications; Hayden said she remained deeply heartbroken over his death.
Panettiere's 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, detailed her experiences with child stardom, addiction, recovery, postpartum depression, trauma, domestic abuse, loss and Hollywood pressures.
{p}Hayden Panettiere, the former child star who became a household name on Heroes and Nashville, died suddenly at 36 on Sunday, Aug. 16, in Greenville, South Carolina, just six days before her 37th birthday. Panettiere poses for a portrait in front of a painting of the District of Columbia, Friday, Sept. 16, 2011, in Washington.{/p}She had spoken openly about alcohol and opioid addiction. She said she was first exposed to addictive substances as a teenager when someone on her team gave her “happy pills” before red-carpet appearances. Her alcohol use escalated after moving to Tennessee for "Nashville" and worsened after Kaya’s birth amid postpartum depression. She also developed opioid dependence after being prescribed pain medication for an old neck injury.
Panettiere entered rehab in 2015 and later relapsed. At her lowest point, she described waking with shakes and needing alcohol to function. After turning 30, she reported jaundice, facial swelling, yellow eyes, abnormal weight gain, hair thinning and hair loss, and said doctors warned that her liver could fail and that she could die within five years if she continued drinking.
She later completed an eight-month treatment program and became sober. She described withdrawal as severe, including shaking, insomnia, intense headaches and frightening auditory hallucinations. She also spoke publicly about how addiction, postpartum depression, anxiety and the pressures of fame affected her life and contributed to a period away from acting.
After her death, Viola Davis, Bethany Joy Lenz, Jay Shetty, Selma Blair, Melissa Barrera, David Arquette, and Rosie O’Donnell were among those who paid tribute. Davis called Panettiere a gifted, deeply soulful person who was “rising from the ashes,” while others expressed shock, love and grief over her death.
