The former child actor was found unresponsive in Greenville, South Carolina, and authorities said no cause of death had been determined.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Hayden Panettiere, the actor who grew from a child performer into a television star through prominent roles in “Heroes” and “Nashville,” died Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina. She was 36, her family and representative confirmed.
Greenville police said officers and emergency medical personnel responded shortly before 2 p.m. Aug. 16 to a report of an unresponsive woman at a residence. Medical assistance was provided, but Panettiere was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said an acquaintance placed the 911 call. The Greenville Police Department and Greenville County Coroner’s Office were investigating her death, and officials had not announced a cause.
Police said their preliminary investigation found no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. That finding does not establish a cause of death, which remained undetermined as investigators and the coroner continued their work. Panettiere’s representative also described the investigation as ongoing. Her family asked for privacy while grieving her sudden death.
Panettiere had worked in entertainment since childhood and became widely known to television audiences as Claire Bennet, a high school cheerleader with regenerative powers, on NBC’s “Heroes.” The series debuted in 2006 and became one of the network’s biggest dramas of that period. Her role helped establish Panettiere as a recognizable young star after years of work in television and film.
She later played country singer Juliette Barnes on the musical drama “Nashville,” which premiered in 2012. The role brought Panettiere two Golden Globe nominations for supporting actress. Her performance followed the character through professional success, family struggles and personal crises over the show’s six-season run on ABC and CMT.
Her film credits included the 2000 football drama “Remember the Titans,” in which she appeared alongside Denzel Washington, as well as “Bring It On: All or Nothing.” Panettiere also played Kirby Reed in the “Scream” franchise, first appearing in “Scream 4” in 2011 and returning to the role in “Scream VI” in 2023. Earlier in her career, she voiced Dot in Pixar’s “A Bug’s Life.”
Panettiere had also spoken publicly about difficult periods in her personal life. In interviews and in her 2026 memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” she discussed postpartum depression and problems with alcohol and addiction. Those disclosures became part of her public advocacy around recovery and mental health, but authorities had not linked any aspect of that history to her death as of Monday.
Her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at age 28. The family said at the time that his death resulted from complications involving an enlarged heart and an aortic-valve condition. Panettiere later spoke about the emotional impact of losing her brother and the grief that followed.
Tributes to Panettiere spread through the entertainment industry after news of her death. SAG-AFTRA, which said she had been a member since 1994, mourned her passing and extended condolences to her daughter, relatives, friends and fans. Her father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere, remembered his daughter as a powerful presence who brought happiness to people in her life and to audiences who watched her work.
Panettiere is survived by her daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with former fiancé and Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, and by her parents. Authorities had not released a final determination on the cause and manner of her death as of Monday, and the Greenville police and county coroner investigations remained active.
Author note: Last updated August 17, 2026.