Hayden Panettiere, who starred as a child actor in the 2000 film "Remember the Titans" and later rose to fame in the sci-fi series "Heroes," died at the age of 36, her publicist confirmed to CBS News on August 17.
Police in Greenville, South Carolina, said officers and EMS personnel responded to a report of an unresponsive female at Judson Mill Lofts and provided medical assistance. The person was "later identified as Hayden Panettiere" and "was pronounced deceased at the scene." Greenville police said the preliminary investigation had "not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances" and that "an acquaintance of Ms. Panettiere placed the 911 call." The Greenville County Coroner's Office is also investigating.
Panettiere's father, Skip Panettiere, released a statement through publicist Kasey Kitchen: "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. We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss."
Her career spanned more than three decades. She was already considered a show business veteran at 16 when she landed the role of cheerleader Claire Bennet in "Heroes." She went on to roles in the "Scream" horror film series and the TV drama "Nashville," where she played country singer Juliette Barnes. That role earned her two Golden Globe nominations and a spot on the Billboard charts.
Panettiere faced significant personal difficulties off-screen. In 2022, she spoke publicly about an addiction to opioids and alcohol that began in her teens. In 2023, her younger brother Jansen died at 28 from a heart condition. In October 2015, she entered a treatment facility for postpartum depression after giving birth to her first child in December 2014.
She released a memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," in May, detailing her childhood, her experiences with addiction and physical abuse, and her recovery. In an interview with CBS News' Gayle King that month, she described growing up in the entertainment industry from infancy.
"When your mother has chosen to take the 8-month-old baby into those audition rooms, and it went from there and progressed into 50 commercials by the time I was 5 ... it just never stopped," she told King. "I didn't care about anybody's opinion but my mom's, because I knew that if she was unhappy with my performance in any way, that the rest of the day was gonna be ruined."
The Greenville County Coroner's Office is continuing its investigation.
