Hayden Panettiere was open about her substance abuse issues, revealing the highs and lows of her sobriety journey prior to her shocking August 2026 death at the age of 36.
Panettiere died of a suspected overdose on August 16, 2026. Authorities in South Carolina confirmed the following day that officers responded to a home after receiving a report regarding an “unresponsive female,” later identified as Panettiere.
First responders attempted to resuscitate Panettiere, using “advanced cardiac life support” in addition to special medicines, breathing tubes and heart rhythm tracking, according to TMZ. She was later pronounced deceased.
Three months before her death, Panettiere revealed she had “shaken all of this darkness and negativity” from her life during her final interview on Jay Shetty’s podcast.
Everything Panettiere said about her addiction, below:
Hayden Panettiere Opened Up About ‘Second Chance’ for Her Career Amid Addiction
Panettiere candidly discussed how her reliance on opioids and alcohol impacted her career while speaking to People in July 2022.
“I was on top of the world and I ruined it,” she said. “I’d think I hit rock bottom, but then there’s that trap door that opens.”
Panettiere added that she “put a lot of work into” overcoming her addiction issues, sharing that she went to trauma therapy and inpatient treatment for help.
“This hasn’t been easy and there were a lot of ups and downs,” she said of her sobriety journey. “But I don’t regret even the ugliest things that have happened to me. I feel incredibly accomplished. And I feel like I have a second chance.”
Hayden Panettiere Recalled Being Given ‘Happy Pills’ as a Teen
During the same interview with People, Panettiere said she was exposed to substances at an early age and was even offered “happy pills” by the age of 15 before she would walk red carpets or appear at major Hollywood events.
“They were to make me peppy during interviews,” she said. “I had no idea that this was not an appropriate thing, or what door that would open for me when it came to my addiction. … And as I got older, the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn’t live without.”
Hayden Panettiere Said She ‘Couldn’t Live Without’ Drugs and Alcohol
While Panettiere said she was sober while working, she told People that “the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn’t live without” as she got older.
Panettiere said she was sober when she was pregnant with her daughter, Kaya, in 2014, but she returned back to using the substances after she gave birth.
Hayden Panettiere’s Struggle With Postpartum Depression Made Her More Dependent on Substances
After Panettiere welcomed Kaya with her then-partner, Wladimir Klitschko, she struggled with postpartum depression.
“I never had the feeling that I wanted to harm my child, but I didn’t want to spend any time with her,” she told People. “There was just this gray color in my life.”
She said that when she was at her lowest point, Panettiere “would have the shakes when I woke up and could only function with sipping alcohol.”
In 2018, she sent Kaya to live with Klitschko in Ukraine and granted him full custody after they split.
“It was the hardest thing I ever had to do,” she said of her decision to forego her parental rights. “But I wanted to be a good mom to her — and sometimes that means letting them go.”
Her drinking only got worse, and Panettiere was hospitalized after she suffered from jaundice. “Doctors told me my liver was going to give out,” she said. “I was no longer a 20-year-old who could just bounce right back.”
She ultimately went to rehab, which she credited for giving her the tools to “get over the hump” of her addiction.
How Hayden Panettiere Protected Her Sobriety After Her Brother’s Death
Panettiere was on the cover of Us in May 2026, where she spoke about how she protected her sobriety following the death of her brother, Jansen Panettiere, in 2023. He died from cardiomegaly and aortic valve complications when he was 28 years old.
“Well, first and foremost, I had to make sure that I didn’t trust myself too much. They say when you’re healing from addiction … never say anything like, ‘I’ve got this,’ because those are famous last words,” she told Us. “Make sure that you have strong people around you. That was my main goal. I knew how vulnerable I was and that I was not going to be able to get through that on my own, and I did not trust myself to do it in a healthy way, because I would have done absolutely anything to ease the pain. I made sure to go back into therapy [to stay] on the right track and be able to process all of that emotion, in a healthy way, showing yourself kindness. I feel like life is one long journey of learning how to love yourself.”
When it came to enforcing the thought process, Hayden said she “always loved” the part of the 12 steps that said, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”
She said that the mantra “always gives me a little bit of strength to get through it.”
“It’s such a beautiful and poignant statement. My dad always used to tell me that when I’d be struggling with self doubt when I was a kid. He made me stand in a power pose and say, ‘I can do it. I can do it. I can do it.’ And how powerful putting that sentiment out into the universe is,” she added.
Hayden Panettiere Reflected on How Her Addiction Made Her ‘Stronger’
The Ice Princess star further reflected on her addiction while speaking to Us, saying that it was often “daunting” to go “through challenges” while in the spotlight.
“But those challenges I’ve faced have made me stronger,” she said. “Every moment of our life and every person we meet along the way is a lesson.”
Hayden Panettiere Opened Up About Opioid Withdrawal
In her May 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, Hayden detailed what it was like to experience opioid withdrawal.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: addicts aren’t patient. When we’re shaking, nauseated, anxious, lonely, or depressed, we need instant relief that sends us into that pain-free place called denial,” she wrote.
Thankfully, she said that going to rehab helped her find her old self again.
“Two weeks in, I started to feel calm,” she wrote. “I liked myself. What a revelation.” She said she even remembered what genuine happiness was.”
“Two weeks later, I laughed,” Hayden continued. “Not because of [ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson] or Wlad or Mom or someone else whose approval I craved, but because of something I thought was funny. That laugh was all mine, and no one could take it from me.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
