Hayden Panettiere, who rose to fame through her roles in Heroes and Nashville, is no more. Law enforcement sources say a friend of Hayden’s called 911 on August 16, reporting that the actress was unresponsive and in cardiac arrest. Following the tragic news, her father, Skip Panettiere, has spoken out and remembered his daughter as “an incredible light” who brought “immeasurable love.”
Skip Panettiere shares a statement after Heroes and Nashville star Hayden Panettiere dies at 36
According to People, a representative shared a statement on behalf of Hayden’s father. The statement read, “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.”
Hayden is survived by her parents, father Skip and mother Lesley Vogel, who formerly managed her career. She is also survived by her daughter, Kaya Klitschko, whom she welcomed in 2014 with her former fiancé, heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.
Panettiere launched her acting career in 1994 with a role on ABC’s One Life to Live. She later joined the cast of CBS’ Guiding Light in 1996 and reprised her role on the series from 1997 to 2000. She was one of the youngest Grammy Award nominees, earning recognition for her voice role as Princess Dot in the 1998 film A Bug’s Life.
Hayden, who was featured in 2011’s Scream 4 as Kirby Reed, spoke openly about her struggles with addiction. She shared her experiences in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, which she released in May. She said those circumstances ultimately led her to give up custody of her only child.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she said, “I was groomed. I was like a little soldier, and I always have been. No was never an option. It was just, here are your scenes, here’s your dialogue, memorize it, hit the marks, do what your director tells you to do.”
Details surrounding Hayden’s cause of death weren’t immediately released. However, TMZ obtained dispatch audio. The audio reportedly indicates that medics were dispatched to perform CPR on someone described as having overdosed. It remains unclear whether Hayden was the person referenced in the dispatch call. It is also unknown whether her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, made the emergency call.
Police say they have found no initial evidence of foul play and do not believe Hayden’s death was suspicious. The Greenville County coroner will conduct an autopsy on August 17 to establish the cause and manner of her death.
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