Actor Hayden Panettiere, known for roles in ‘Heroes,’ ‘Nashville,’ dies at 36

Police in Greenville, South Carolina, said the “preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.” Panettiere revealed this year that she struggled with postpartum depression and addiction.

Actor Hayden Panettiere, who was known for roles in television’s “Heroes” and “Nashville” and had recently published a memoir, has died, her father said in a statement Sunday night. She was 36.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” her father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement provided by her representative.

The Greenville County Coroner’s Office on Monday said that Panettiere’s cause of death remains pending further investigation. An autospy was completed Monday, the statement added, and “no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.”

At around 1:50 p.m. Sunday, authorities received a 911 call regarding a “reported cardiac arrest” at an apartment complex, according to the coroner’s office. Police say an acquaintance of Panettiere made the 911 call.

“Panettiere was found unresponsive inside the residence, where she had been temporarily staying,” the coroner’s office said.

Advanced cardiac life support measures were initiated, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, the statement added. Panettiere was pronounced deceased at 2:32 p.m.

“The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office,” the police said Sunday, adding that the preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.

Panettiere revealed this year that she previously struggled with postpartum depression and addiction, which she said led to her decision to give up custody of her only child, daughter Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, in 2018, whom she had with former partner Wladimir Klitschko, the Ukrainian professional boxer.

Hayden Panettiere is setting the record straight.
Panettiere recently published a memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” which generated headlines over its revelations, including about her past relationships.

In 2024, she described pain and grief after her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died unexpectedly of an undiagnosed heart condition the previous year.

“When you lose somebody that you saw in all the important moments in your life, standing right next to you, it just rocks your world,” she told NBC’s “TODAY” show.Hayden Panettiere was born and raised in Palisades, New York, about 40 miles north of New York City, according to her Television Academy bio.Panettiere started working at 11 months old, when she appeared in television commercials, it said.

She appeared on soap operas, including “One Life to Live” and “Guiding Light,” beginning at age 4. Her voice was featured as the young princess ant in “A Bug’s Life,” the animated feature, and she eventually appeared in big-screen stories, including “Remember the Titans,” “Ice Princess” and “Bring It On: All or Nothing.”

One of her most impactful roles was as Juliette Barnes on television’s “Nashville.” The role earned her two Golden Globe nominations.

Hayden Panettiere isn't holding back. The actress opens up in her new memoir "This Is Me: A Reckoning" and claims a beauty brand once ended their years-long partnership after she revealed her experience with postpartum depression during a live TV interview back in 2015.
Her time shooting “Nashville” included the pressure of having had a baby and experiencing postpartum depression, she said, and at times it was too much.

“That’s why I turned to substances — because the anxiety that I started having, the panic attacks that I started having,” she said in a tearful interview on the “Jay Shetty Podcast” in May.

Panettiere said she always wanted to be a mother but discussed her sadness amid her postpartum depression.

“I had this beautiful plan in my head, and then I had my daughter, and I knew something was just terribly, terribly wrong,” she said on the podcast. “I was miserable. I was in tears all the time. Even though the alcohol helped my nervous system calm down, it is a depressant, so over time it made things worse, not better.”

Despite being apart from her daughter after she gave up custody to Klitschko, Panettiere told Shetty, she formed a strong bond with her child.

“I will always want her here. I always miss her,” she said. “I always want to have my arms wrapped around her, but that’s just not the way life is right at this moment.”

She continued, “I have faith that she is going to come to me and that we’re going to have an incredible relationship and bond and friendship that a lot of parents don’t get to have with their kids.”

In 2018, the year “Nashville” ended its six-season run, Panettiere sold her home in the namesake city.

“We join in mourning the sudden passing of Hayden Panettiere,” the screen actors union SAG-AFTRA, which counted her as a member since 1994, said in a statement. “Our hearts are with her daughter, family, friends and fans.”

Viola Davis, who starred alongside Panettiere in the 2016 film “Custody,” paid tribute to her “amazing talent.”

“I wish the world had more time with you because I had a burning curiosity about who you were becoming. I saw this beautiful Phoenix rising from the ashes. Your tests became your testimony, and your testimony became your legacy. You will be remembered,” Davis said in a post on Instagram.

Actor Emme Rylan, who appeared with Panettiere in “Bring It On: All or Nothing,” reacted to news of her death on Instagram, saying: “So very sad. Rest in peace sweet soul.”

Kelly Osbourne said in an Instagram story that she was “deeply saddened by the loss of someone who meant so much to me.”

“We understood each other in a way few truly can — recognizing how difficult it is to grow up in the spotlight, and how isolating it can feel even when surrounded by so many people,” Osbourne wrote, adding that Panettiere was “such a good friend to me.”

Brit Shaw, who guest starred on “Nashville,” called Panettiere’s death a “shock” in an Instagram post.

“She had this way of making you feel at home. From the moment I walked onto the Nashville set, she made me feel like I belonged,” Shaw wrote. “We had so many good times together, and I’ll always be grateful for them.”

Alyson Stoner also took to Instagram to express her grief over Panettiere’s death, whom she succeeded as the English voice actor for Kairi in the "Kingdom Hearts" video game franchise.

“From one Kairi to another… One sky, one destiny,” captioned the emotional video. “My deepest condolences to Hayden’s family, community, and the many lives Hayden reached. May you rest in freedom, Hayden.”

District of Columbia shadow Sen. Paul Strauss shared a photo of himself with Panettiere on Instagram and said he was “devastated” by her death.

“Hayden was a special person who always tried to use her platform for causes she believed in. Her advocacy to protect whales, and for DC Statehood were just some of the worthy causes she generously donated her time and energy to,” Strauss said. “A special soul gone way too soon.”

Panettiere was a spokesperson for the Whaleman Foundation, an oceanic conservation group; appeared in the 2010 Oscar-winning documentary on dolphin slaughter, “The Cove”; and received the Genesis Wyler Award from the Humane Society, according to the Television Academy.