Actress Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in Addictioncenter, Page Six, and Bring It On: All or Nothing, died on Sunday, August 16, at the age of 36. Emergency personnel responded at approximately 1:51 PM to a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, where she had been temporarily staying, after receiving a report about an unresponsive woman.
Hayden Panettiere Dies at 36 Following Apparent Overdose in South Carolina
Panettiere was found in cardiac arrest. Advanced life support was administered, but attempts to revive her were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead at 2:32 PM. According to emergency dispatch audio, officials discussed an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest” call around the time of her death, and Addictioncenter reported that Narcan, an emergency medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, was found at the scene.
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office stated that an autopsy was completed, and no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death. Authorities have stated there are no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. The official cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies, including toxicology testing.
Memoir and Public Revelations Detail Past Struggles With Substances and Trauma
Before her death, Panettiere was open about her struggles with alcohol abuse and prescription drug addiction. In her May memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, she detailed the darker side of her life, including debilitating postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter, Kaya. She also described being exposed to substances at age 15 when someone from her team offered her “happy pills” to perk her up before a red carpet.
Her alcohol and opioid use later escalated as she struggled with her mental health. She recalled needing to sip alcohol throughout the day to avoid “the shakes.” After being warned by doctors that her liver could fail, she entered professional addiction treatment in 2020, undergoing trauma therapy and spending eight months in inpatient treatment.
Her memoir also addressed industry traumas from her time as a child and teen actor. She wrote about associating catastrophe with adoration because people loved her when make-believe bad things happened to her on screen. She additionally described inappropriate encounters with older individuals in the industry during her youth.
Family Statements and Reactions Following the Actress’s Passing
Hayden’s father, Skip Panettiere, released a statement over the weekend calling her an incredible light and a force of nature.
Her death occurred three years after the death of her brother, Jansen Panettiere, at age 28 due to an undiagnosed heart condition.
The late actress’s estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, also issued a statement referring to Hayden as an “amazing” and “talented” woman on the wrong path,
while also taking aim at Hayden’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson. Hickerson and Hayden’s brother Zach Hickerson were with her when she died. Vogel’s comments drew a scathing response on Page Six from co-host Gayle King, who criticized the timing and tone of the remarks given the mother and daughter’s estrangement.
