Christine Drews Sieger
Hayden Panettiere, best known for her iconic roles in Heroes and Nashville, has died in South Carolina at the age of 36.
Former child actor Hayden Panettiere, widely known for her starring roles in hit television series like Heroes and Nashville, died on Sunday in South Carolina at the age of 36.
Emergency responders arrived at the Greenville home shortly before 2:00 p.m. on Sunday following a 911 call from an acquaintance.
However, paramedics were unable to revive Panettiere, and she was declared dead at the scene.
The Greenville Police Department and the local coroner are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding her passing.
The cause and manner of death were not provided. Police stated that preliminary checks revealed no signs of foul play or suspicious activity, according to NBC News.
Public battles
Earlier this year, Panettiere spoke candidly about her heavy struggles with substance abuse and postpartum depression.
Her mental health challenges eventually led her to relinquish custody of her daughter, Kaya, to her former partner Wladimir Klitschko in 2018.
“That’s why I turned to substances — because the anxiety that I started having, the panic attacks that I started having,” she revealed during a tearful interview on the Jay Shetty Podcast in May.
“I had this beautiful plan in my head, and then I had my daughter, and I knew something was just terribly, terribly wrong,” she added.
She explained that while alcohol temporarily quieted her nerves, it ultimately worsened her condition over time, NBC News reports.
Bright career
As NBC News reports, Panettiere’s career in front of the camera began extraordinarily early.
She made her debut in TV commercials while still an infant before securing recurring roles on daytime soap operas by the age of four.
Her defining role came in the mid-2000s when she played cheerleader Claire Bennet in the global television hit Heroes.
Years later, her performance as country singer Juliette Barnes in Nashville earned her two Golden Globe nominations.
Outside of Hollywood, Panettiere advocated strongly for oceanic conservation and animal protection through the Whaleman Foundation.
Former colleagues, friends, and union leaders shared moving tributes following the news, remembering her as an extraordinary talent who constantly strived to use her voice for good.
