Hayden Panettiere Was in Cardiac Arrest When 911 Call Came In

New details are emerging about the death of actress Hayden Panettiere.

The Heroes and Nashville star passed away Sunday, Aug. 16, in Greenville, South Carolina at age 36.

A 911 call came in at approximately 1:51 p.m. reporting a person was unresponsive and in “cardiac arrest” at Judson Mill Lofts, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.

Emergency dispatch audio obtained by local news station WYFF-TV referenced a possible overdose at the apartment complex.

“Overdose, CPR is in progress,” a dispatcher could be heard saying on the recording. However, authorities have not yet determined Panettiere’s official cause of death.

Police Response
The Greenville Police Department issued a news release overnight, saying the individual in distress was later identified as Hayden Panettiere. She was pronounced deceased at the scene after “an acquaintance” placed the 911 call.

Law enforcement is investigating the case alongside the coroner’s office. “The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances,” police said.

Autopsy Completed
An autopsy was performed Monday but the results are pending, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.

“At autopsy no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death. The cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies,” the coroner’s office said. “This investigation remains active and ongoing. No further details are available for release at this time.”

Family Confirms Her Death
Panettiere’s father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere, confirmed her death in a statement Sunday.

“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,” the statement read.

Born Aug. 21, 1989, in Palisades, New York, Panettiere began appearing in commercials as an infant and worked steadily throughout her childhood.

She went on to land roles on the daytime soap operas One Life to Live and Guiding Light.

Her film credits included Remember the Titans, Raising Helen, Scream 4, Scream VI, the 2024 thriller Amber Alert, and Lifetime movies.

Panettiere was best known for portraying cheerleader Claire Bennet on NBC’s Heroes and country singer Juliette Barnes on ABC’s Nashville.

Past Struggles
The actress was open about her struggles with addiction, postpartum depression, domestic abuse, the death of her brother, and her decision to give up custody of her only child.

In May, she released her memoir titled This Is Me: A Reckoning.

That same month, she sat down with Tamron Hall to discuss the book, growing up in the spotlight, and her family.

Panettiere said her mother, former soap opera actress Lesley R. Vogel, was her talent manager and introduced her to the entertainment industry.

“I was eight months old when she started having me baby model and 11 months old when I did my first commercial,” the actress shared with Hall.

She recalled writing in her book that she stopped working with her mother at age 19.

“All I wanted was to discover what it was like to have a normal mother-daughter relationship,” she shared in the book.

“The only thing that came out of her mouth was, ‘you owe me,’ and she walked away,” Panettiere told Hall about her mom.

The actress is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, who lives with her father, former professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko.