Hayden Panettiere, the actress known for “Heroes” and “Nashville,” died Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina. She was 36. Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed her death in a statement to ABC News, and police say the investigation into how she died remains open, with a final cause and manner of death still pending.
Key facts
- Actress Hayden Panettiere died Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina. She was 36.
- Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed her death; police say the cause and manner of death remain pending.
- She was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:32 p.m., after a 911 call around 1:51 p.m.
- An autopsy on Aug. 17 found no visible injuries or trauma; toxicology results are still pending.
- She was known for playing Claire Bennet on “Heroes” and Juliette Barnes on “Nashville.”
- She is survived by her daughter, Kaya, born in 2014 with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko.
Timeline
- 1:51 p.m., Aug. 16 — A 911 call reports a woman unresponsive and in cardiac arrest at Judson Mill Lofts in Greenville, South Carolina.
- 2:32 p.m., Aug. 16 — Panettiere is pronounced dead at the scene.
- Aug. 17 — An autopsy by the Greenville County Coroner’s Office finds no visible injuries or trauma; cause and manner of death remain pending, including toxicology testing.
- Aug. 21 — Panettiere would have turned 37.
What happened
911 call and response
Officers and paramedics responded to Judson Mill Lofts, an apartment complex at 701 Easley Bridge Road in Greenville where Panettiere had reportedly been staying, after a 911 call around 1:51 p.m. from an acquaintance reporting a woman unresponsive and in cardiac arrest. Police have not publicly identified the acquaintance who called 911. Emergency crews attempted resuscitation, but police said she was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:32 p.m.
Autopsy and police findings
An autopsy was completed the next day, Monday, Aug. 17, by the Greenville County Coroner’s Office. Coroner Mike Ellis said the exam found no visible injuries or signs of trauma that contributed to her death. He said the official cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation, including toxicology testing that has not yet been completed.
The Greenville Police Department said its preliminary investigation has not turned up any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. No official cause of death — including whether an overdose was involved — has been released, and the case remains open while testing continues.
Unconfirmed reports
Dispatch audio from the 911 call, first reported by TMZ, has circulated online and includes a responder referencing “overdose” and CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) being performed at the scene. That audio reflects what responders said in the moment, not a finding by police or the coroner, and has not been confirmed as the cause of death.
Separately, TMZ has reported that Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, was found in the apartment. TMZ also reported that two ambulances responded to the scene. It has not been confirmed who received treatment. No other person has been named or confirmed present at the scene in any official statement.
Family statement
Panettiere’s father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement: “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.” He asked for privacy for the family. The family has faced loss before: Panettiere’s younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in February 2023 at age 28, of an enlarged heart — a separate, unrelated event.
Her career
Panettiere began acting as a child and became widely known for playing cheerleader Claire Bennet on NBC’s “Heroes” from 2006 to 2010, and country singer Juliette Barnes on “Nashville” from 2012 to 2018. She played Kirby Reed in “Scream 4” in 2011 and reprised the role in “Scream VI” in 2023. Her other credits include “Remember the Titans,” “Ice Princess” and “Raising Helen,” along with “Bring It On: All or Nothing,” in which she played cheerleader Britney Allen. In video games, she voiced Kairi in the “Kingdom Hearts” series and played Sam Giddings in “Until Dawn” and its 2024 remake.
Her family and public statements
Panettiere is survived by her daughter, Kaya, born in December 2014 with her former fiancé, retired heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko. After she and Klitschko separated in 2018, Panettiere has said she chose, on her own and not by court order, to have Klitschko take on primary care of Kaya while she focused on treatment for postpartum depression and addiction.
In May 2026, Panettiere published a memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” in which she wrote about postpartum depression, addiction and recovery, and past domestic abuse. Around the same time, she said publicly for the first time that she is bisexual. Those were her own public statements, made months before her death, and are not connected by any official source to how she died.
Tributes
Colleagues from across her career paid tribute after news of her death broke, including “Heroes” co-star Sendhil Ramamurthy and executive producer Bryan Fuller, “Scream” castmates David Arquette, Emma Roberts and Melissa Barrera, and “Nashville” co-star Connie Britton. Actresses Viola Davis, Alyssa Milano, Rosie O’Donnell, Kelly Osbourne and Selma Blair also shared remembrances, as did actor Jeremy Renner. Photographer Randall Slavin, who took the black-and-white photo Panettiere posted to Instagram on July 27 — her final post, taken roughly 15 years earlier — shared it again after her death, writing “Peace be with you, H.” No funeral or memorial service has been publicly announced.
Panettiere would have turned 37 on Aug. 21, 2026. Police and the coroner’s office say their investigation continues while toxicology results are pending.