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Hayden Panettiere, who became a household name as a teenager for her role in Heroes and later starred in Nashville and multiple Scream films, has died at age 36.
Panettiere was pronounced dead at a South Carolina apartment Sunday, August 16. A cause of death has not been revealed, but an autopsy showed no signs of trauma. Toxicology reports are pending and could take up to 12 weeks, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.
An investigation is reportedly being conducted into Panettiere’s death involving Greenville police as well as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration after an incident report stated that her on-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, turned over a “bag of medication” to police.
On Thursday (20 August), the day before Panettiere’s 37th birthday, his lawyer told TMZ: “Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed. As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play.”
Panettiere was best-known for playing Sheryl Yoast in the 2000 Denzel Washington-led film Remember the Titans, high school cheerleader Claire Bennet on NBC’s sci-fi drama Heroes (2006-2010), and aspiring country singer Juliette Barnes on the hit TV series Nashville (2012-2018).
Her New York Times bestselling memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, was published in May this year, in which she looked back at her childhood in Hollywood and her experiences with addiction, postpartum depression (which she claimed cost her a sponsorship with skincare brand Neutrogena), abusive relationships, and the loss of custody of her daughter, Kaya, whom she shares with former heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
Hayden Panettiere’s on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson breaks silence
Brian Hickerson has broken his silence following Hayden Panettiere’s death, issuing his first statement through his lawyer, Sloan Ellis.
“Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed,” Ellis said in a statement to TMZ. “As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play.”
The statement added: “Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”
Hickerson, who had an on-and-off relationship with Panettiere, was at the apartment when Panettiere was found unresponsive on Sunday, along with his brother Zach. He showed responding officers a bag of medication Panettiere had been taking, while authorities later said an autopsy found no signs of trauma.
The DEA has since joined the investigation, and Panettiere’s cause and manner of death remain pending.
Hickerson also has a history of domestic violence against Panettiere and pleaded no contest to two felony charges involving her in 2021.
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Shahana Yasmin21 August 2026 04:00
Hayden Panettiere was asked when she would ‘go off the rails’ at 18
Hayden Panettiere was just 18 when she was asked by GQ when she expected to become the latest “screwed-up girl in Hollywood”, after her rise to fame on Heroes.
“Never, never. Cross our fingers,” Panettiere replied in the 2007 interview.
When the interviewer followed up by asking whether she could schedule rehab for her 21st birthday, she responded: “You can’t schedule rehab for me. And I don’t think you can schedule any DUIs. I think I’m going to be one of those boring girls.”
Hayden Panettiere (L) and actor Jack Coleman at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum’s Hollywood Legacy Awards XI honoring the cast of ‘Heroes’ in 2008 (Getty)
Her Heroes co-star Jack Coleman, who played her on-screen father, remembered the questions in a tribute following her death this week. He said Panettiere was “routinely asked obnoxious questions”, mostly variations of “when are you going to go off the rails?”, calling them “misogynistic provocations”.
Shahana Yasmin21 August 2026 08:50
Hayden Panettiere said she was ‘riddled with guilt’ after brother Jansen’s death
Hayden Panettiere spoke openly about the guilt she carried after the sudden death of her younger brother Jansen, who died aged 28 in 2023 from a heart condition.
Jansen Panettiere (L) and Hayden Panettiere arrive at the 23rd Annual Environmental Media Awards in 2013 (Getty)
In an interview with E! News in May, Panettiere said she was still struggling with the loss three years later. “It’s all the time,” she said of her grief. “It just evolves, especially with a sibling and being the older sibling. You’re just riddled with guilt that you didn’t do your job.”
“I miss him all the time. I didn’t think I would have to do life without him, but I’m grateful that I had the time I had with him,” she added.
Shahana Yasmin21 August 2026 08:30
What parent would actually wish fame on their own child?
Reading about Hayden Panettiere’s tragic quest to outrun her child stardom, it’s clear to me that Hollywood has created a market that urgently needs abolishing, says Claire Cohen
Shahana Yasmin21 August 2026 08:10
‘Bursting with brilliance’: Hayden Panettiere remembered by her biggest co-stars
Hayden Panettiere has been remembered by actors she worked with throughout her career.
Connie Britton, who played Rayna Jaymes opposite Panettiere’s Juliette Barnes on Nashville, shared photos of the pair and wrote: “This was Hayden. Bursting with brilliance, shining so bright. I have no words for this sad song. Just heartbreak. I love you girl. Sleep easy now.”
Esten recalled meeting Panettiere when he auditioned for Nashville, remembering how she listened outside the audition room before surprising him with a smile and telling him: “That was so good!!”
Jack Coleman, who played Claire Bennet’s father on Heroes, remembered Panettiere as a “prodigious talent” and said: “She was a tiny colossus who loved to laugh.” Masi Oka, who played Hiro Nakamura, described her as possessing a “beautiful spirit” and “immense talent”.
Cattrall, who played Panettiere’s mother in Ice Princess, wrote simply: “Rest in peace sweet Hayden. Gone far too soon.”
Viola Davis, who worked with Panettiere on The Architect and Custody, remembered her as “an old, wise soul with such a deep heart”.
Shahana Yasmin21 August 2026 07:50
Hayden Panettiere said fame could ‘turn your life upside down’ in 2007 interview
Hayden Panettiere spoke about the pressures facing young women in Hollywood and the relentless attention of the paparazzi when she was just 18.
Asked about the years since Heroes had made her famous, Panettiere told GQ in 2007: “This business tends to turn your life upside down. For some strange reason, I’ve become one of the targets of the paparazzi. Things get crazy. You try and hold on to that little part of normal that you can.”
Hayden Panettiere as Claire Bennet in ‘Heroes’, which premiered in 2006 (NBC)
On whether the media was effectively pushing young women towards public meltdowns, she pointed to Britney Spears, who was facing intense scrutiny at the time, saying: “That girl was the epitome of beauty when I was younger. And we built her up and just ripped her down, put every aspect of her life under a microscope.”
She added: “Probably made 90 per cent of the stuff up along the way. I can’t even imagine if I had it like she does. She’s someone that I’m rooting for, and I hope she can make that comeback.”
Panettiere’s Heroes co-star Jack Coleman recently recalled the intense scrutiny she faced as a teenager, saying in his tribute to her that she had been “hunted” by paparazzi.
“They were predatory,” Coleman wrote. “No one, especially a teenager, should be targeted that way.”
Shahana Yasmin21 August 2026 07:30
Neutrogena breaks silence after backlash
Panettiere’s death prompted the actor’s previous comments about how she was “fired” from being the face of the brand for speaking out about her postpartum depression to resurface.
“We are deeply saddened by Hayden Panettiere’s passing,” the company said in a statement posted to its social media accounts. “For more than a decade, Hayden was a valued member of our Neutrogena community.”
“We are proud to have partnered with her and understand that we made her feel unsupported during a very difficult time. This is not what Neutrogena stands for or who we want to be,” the statement continued.
Caitlin Hornik21 August 2026 07:05
Hayden Panettiere said she was focused on ‘finding meaning in life’ months before her death
Hayden Panettiere spoke about finding purpose in her life and looking towards new creative opportunities just months before her death.
“I know that if I surround myself with positive people, I can accomplish whatever I set my mind to,” she told The Independent in May, and said she wanted to write and produce, and release a jewellery line.
“I’ve made my share of mistakes, I’ve fallen on my face, but I’ve always stood up again and dusted myself off.”
She added: “I’ve got plenty of issues, but finding meaning in life isn’t one of them.”
Panettiere said creativity had provided a “lifeline” and given her purpose when she needed it most.
Shahana Yasmin21 August 2026 06:50
Hayden Panettiere would have celebrated her 37th birthday today
Hayden Panettiere would have turned 37 today, just five days after the actor died suddenly at the age of 36.
Panettiere was born on 21 August 1989 and died on 16 August in South Carolina. She was said to have been looking forward to spending her birthday with her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, in Germany.
(AP2009)
A source close to the actor told Page Six that she had been “so excited to see her” and had been telling people how much she was looking forward to spending time with her daughter.
Panettiere’s memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning was published in May, in which she wrote openly about her childhood in Hollywood, addiction, postpartum depression, abusive relationships, and the loss of custody of Kaya.
Shahana Yasmin21 August 2026 06:30
The heartbreaking family struggles that shaped Hayden Panettiere’s life off screen
The ‘Heroes’ and ‘Nashville’ star, who has tragically died aged 36, was bracingly honest about her experiences of familial estrangement, losing custody of her daughter and the depression that followed the sudden death of her younger brother, writes Katie Rosseinsky
Shahana Yasmin21 August 2026 06:10