Hayden Panettiere opened up about her hopes for the future just three months before her tragic death at age 36.
“Let’s see where my life is going to go, because I finally feel like I have shaken all of this darkness and negativity, and that means I’ve closed one door and another door is opened, and I can feel it opened,” Panettiere told Jay Shetty in a tearful interview on his podcast in May while promoting her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.
“I feel like I have a lot more life to live,” she added.
Hayden’s father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed to Us on Sunday, August 16, that the actress had died in Greenville, South Carolina.
“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,” Skip said in a statement shared via Hayden’s rep. “We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
Authorities in South Carolina confirmed on Monday, August 17, that they had responded to reports of an “unresponsive female” at a residence, who was later identified as Hayden. An investigation is underway.
“The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office,” authorities said in a statement. “The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. An acquaintance of Ms. Panettiere placed the 911 call.”
TMZ reported on Monday that first responders attempted to resuscitate Hayden using “advanced cardiac life support” after she suffered an apparent overdose. In addition to CPR, the tactics included special medicines, breathing tubes and heart rhythm tracking. Hayden was pronounced dead after the paramedics were unable to revive her.
A cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Hayden made her acting debut as a child, appearing on the soap operas One Life to Live and Guiding Light. Her breakthrough TV moment came when she starred as Claire Bennet on Heroes in 2006. The actress is also known for the 2012 drama series Nashville and the films Remember the Titans (2000) and Ice Princess (2005), the latter of which she starred in alongside Michelle Trachtenberg, who died at age 39 in February 2025.
Hayden took a hiatus from acting in 2018 while struggling with postpartum depression after welcoming her daughter, Kaya, with ex Wladimir Klitschko four years prior. She also battled alcohol and opioid addiction.
“Going through challenges is daunting enough in the spotlight where everyone feels entitled to the details of your life, but those challenges I’ve faced have made me stronger,” Hayden told Us earlier this year while discussing her book. “Every moment of our life and every person we meet along the way is a lesson.”
