August 18, 2026 — 7:39am
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No foul play is suspected in the death of American actor Hayden Panettiere, police said, as emergency dispatch audio published by several US outlets indicated the star was in cardiac arrest following a suspected overdose.
The 36-year-old died at her South Carolina home on Monday (AEST).
Hayden Panettiere in 2023. Her father announced her death on Monday.Getty Images
Best known for her roles in TV shows Heroes and Nashville, her death was confirmed by her father Skip Panettiere in a statement to US media.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” he said. “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.”
Early on Tuesday morning (AEST), Greenville Police said in a statement that emergency services were called to Panettiere’s home at 1.51pm on Sunday after she was found to be unresponsive by a friend. It remains unclear who made the 911 call.
Medical assistance was given, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Panettiere rose to fame in the TV series Heroes, before landing roles in Nashville, Scream 4 and the Bring It On series.Getty
“The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances,” police said in the statement.
The case is under investigation by the police department and the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.
“An autopsy was completed today. At autopsy, no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death,” the statement said.
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office also confirmed Panettiere’s death, noting in a statement that she was “found unresponsive inside the residence where she had been temporarily staying”.
Responders reportedly “initiated advanced cardiac life support measures”, which can include breathing tubes, defibrillators and emergency intravenous medications. However, these efforts were unsuccessful, and Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2.32pm (local time).
The official cause and manner of the actor’s death remain unknown, and would be determined following further investigation and “the completion of additional studies”, the coroner’s office said.
US outlet People reported that emergency workers were heard discussing an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest” in dispatch audio obtained by the publication and other outlets including TMZ.
According to several US reports, the actor flew out of Los Angeles with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson the day before she died. It remains unclear whether Hickerson was the friend who found her unresponsive on Monday (AEST).
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Panettiere died a few days before her 37th birthday, which would have been on Friday. She began her acting career at the age of four, with a role in the soap opera One Life to Live as Sarah Roberts. She was perhaps best recognised as Claire Bennet in the popular sci-fi series Heroes, and as Juliette Barnes in Nashville. She also had various film roles including in Remember the Titans and Scream 4.
This year, she released a memoir titled This Is Me: A Reckoning. In it, she recounted the impact of being a child actor, her past alcohol addiction and giving up custody of her daughter in 2018.
Panettiere entered an in-patient treatment centre in early 2020 where she worked on overcoming her opioid and alcohol addiction. Though she remained largely out of the spotlight for a few years, Panettiere re-emerged in May to promote her memoir.
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Chris Hook is Culture News Editor Sydney for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Nell Geraets is a Culture reporter at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners