Hayden Panettiere was pronounced dead Sunday after police and paramedics responded to a suspected overdose at a South Carolina loft apartment. She was 36.
The Hollywood actress was found unresponsive inside Greenville’s Judson Mill Lofts, where emergency workers performed chest compressions in a desperate attempt to save her.
A 911 call came in at 1:51 p.m. A female dispatcher described Panettiere as suffering a “cardiac arrest.” Moments later, a male dispatcher reported a suspected overdose at the residence.
Despite the lifesaving efforts, Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m., about 40 minutes after the initial call.
Detectives told the Daily Mail that officers responded after an “acquaintance” reported the star was “unresponsive.”
The Greenville Police Department and medical examiner are investigating Panettiere’s death. Authorities said the “preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.”
A City of Greenville Police Department spokesman told the Daily Mail:
“On August 16, 2026, at approximately 1:51pm, officers from the Greenville Police Department, accompanied by EMS personnel, responded to a report of an unresponsive female at Judson Mill Lofts, located at 701 Easley Bridge Road.
“Upon arrival, medical assistance was administered; however, the individual, later identified as Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
911 dispatch audio reveals ‘cardiac arrest’ call for Hayden Panettiere https://t.co/htIw7581Zr pic.twitter.com/XAL7xa0wRK
— New York Post (@nypost) August 17, 2026
Panettiere would have turned 37 on Friday.
The actress and her on-and-off boyfriend, real estate agent Brian Hickerson, reportedly flew from Los Angeles to South Carolina one day before her death. Hickerson is from the state.
Panettiere had an 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, following a life-threatening birth. She later gave full custody to the child’s father, her former fiancé, Ukrainian boxing great Wladimir Klitschko.
A performer since childhood, Panettiere first appeared in soap operas before landing roles in major Hollywood productions.
She voiced Dot in Pixar’s 1998 movie “A Bug’s Life” and appeared alongside Denzel Washington in the 2000 sports drama “Remember the Titans.”
Her biggest breakthrough came as cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama “Heroes.” She later played country singer Juliette Barnes across six seasons of “Nashville.”
The “Nashville” role earned Panettiere two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress. Her work as a singer also produced 11 entries on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
Her other movie credits included the 2006 cheerleading comedy “Bring It On: All or Nothing,” the comedy-drama “Raising Helen,” “Scream 4” and “Scream VI.” She played Kirby Reed in the two “Scream” movies.
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