Hayden Panettiere, actor known for "Heroes" and "Remember the Titans," dies at 36
Hayden Panettiere, who starred in "Remember the Titans" as a child actor and rose to fame in the sci-fi series "Heroes," has died at the age of 36, her publicist confirmed to CBS News.
Panettiere's father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement issued through the publicist, Kasey Kitchen: "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. We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss."
Police in Greenville, South Carolina, said in a statement that officers and EMS personnel responded Sunday afternoon to a report of an unresponsive female at Judson Mill Lofts and provided medical assistance but the person, "later identified as Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene."
Police said their "preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances." They said an acquaintance of hers placed the 911 call.
The Greenville County Coroner's Office said emergency responders found her in cardiac arrest and "initiated advanced cardiac life support measures; however, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful."
The coroner's office said an autopsy was completed Monday and found no signs of trauma that would have contributed to the death. "The cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies," the coroner's statement said.
Panettiere's career spanned more than three decades. She was already a show business veteran at age 16 when she landed her role as cheerleader Claire Bennet in the hit show "Heroes," and she went on to more starring roles in both movies and television, including in the "Scream" horror film series and the TV drama "Nashville."
Her role as country music singer Juliette Barnes in "Nashville" earned her two Golden Globe nominations and a spot on the Billboard charts.
But she faced personal struggles off-screen. In 2022, she opened up to People magazine about an addiction to opioids and alcohol that began in her teens. Then in 2023, her younger brother, Jansen, died at the age of 28 from a heart condition.
In recent months, Panettiere spoke publicly about the challenges of life in the spotlight as a young actor. She released her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," in May, detailing her childhood and her experiences with addiction, physical abuse and her recovery.
She described the pressures of being in the public eye since a very young age.
"When your mother has chosen to take the 8-month-old baby into those audition rooms, and it went from there and progressed into 50 commercials by the time I was 5 ... it just never stopped," she told CBS News' Gayle King in May. "I didn't care about anybody's opinion but my mom's, because I knew that if she was unhappy with my performance in any way, that the rest of the day was gonna be ruined."
In October 2015, Panettiere entered a treatment facility to help with postpartum depression after giving birth to her first child in December 2014.
"There I am with this beautiful, healthy, beautiful baby girl and this very fortunate life, and I could not for the life of me be happy. I was so depressed and I just couldn't find my way out," she told King in the May interview.
Panettiere gave full primary custody of her daughter, Kaya, to her ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko in 2018.
She said she hoped her memoir would help others. "I really wanted to share with the world that they don't have to be afraid. That they can live their truth. They can be imperfect," she said. Asked how she was doing, she replied, "Still working on myself all the time. I had a great therapist and I'm — I'm better, healthier than I've been in a long time."
John Filippelli contributed to this report.
