Hayden Panettiere dies at 36; autopsy finds no trauma as cause remains under investigation

Coverage spread: 3 sources — 2 left · 1 right

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Where they agree

Hayden Panettiere, 36, died Sunday after being found in cardiac arrest at an Airbnb in Greenville, South Carolina’s Judson Mill Lofts complex.
An autopsy completed Monday found no signs of trauma, with the coroner’s office listing cause and manner of death as pending further investigation.
Police say there are no signs of foul play, and multiple sources note she had recently struggled with severe back pain.
Tributes from co-stars including Viola Davis, Bethany Joy Lenz, and Kelly Osbourne, and her father’s statement, describe her as beloved and talented.

Where they differ

Page Six/TMZ report specific investigative details — the 911 call described an “overdose,” and Narcan was reportedly found at the scene — details CBS and NBC’s more official-source-based coverage does not include.
The New York Post devotes a full separate article to boyfriend Brian Hickerson’s felony reduction request being denied days before her death, framing his history of domestic abuse against Panettiere prominently; CBS and NBC do not mention Hickerson at all.
CBS News focuses heavily on celebrity tributes and her career/personal struggles narrative (addiction, brother’s death, memoir), while Page Six leans into the immediate medical and legal details surrounding her death.
NBC’s report is brief, sticking strictly to the autopsy finding and ongoing investigation without addressing prior health issues or relationship history.

Actress Hayden Panettiere died Sunday at age 36 after emergency responders found her in cardiac arrest at an Airbnb in the Judson Mill Lofts apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina. An autopsy completed Monday found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death, but the official cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.

What happened the day she died?

Police and EMS responded Sunday afternoon to a 911 call reporting an unresponsive woman at the Judson Mill Lofts complex. According to a 911 dispatch call obtained by Page Six, authorities described the situation as an “overdose” and noted CPR was already in progress when responders arrived. Medics performed advanced cardiac life support and chest compressions, but Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. Greenville police said an acquaintance placed the 911 call, and their preliminary investigation found no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. Law enforcement sources told TMZ that Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, was found at the scene.

What did the autopsy show?

The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said an autopsy completed Monday found no signs of trauma that would have contributed to her death. The cause and manner of death remain pending additional studies, and the investigation is described as active and ongoing, with no further details released at this time.

Had she been dealing with health problems beforehand?

According to Page Six, friends said Panettiere had been struggling with “really severe” back pain in the months before her death. Her hairdresser and friend Erick Orellana said the pain at times made it hard for her to move her legs, and she was photographed in March at LAX using crutches with her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson. Orellana said she had seemed to be improving recently. A second source told Page Six she’d seemed tired at times, in part due to being a “night owl” with a busy schedule, and said she suffered from anxiety for which she occasionally took medication that could affect her speech. A separate source told TMZ she had recently been dealing with back pain as well.

What was happening with her boyfriend’s legal case?

Just three days before her death, a Los Angeles judge denied a request from her on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, to reduce or expunge his 2021 felony convictions for injuring a spouse or girlfriend, tied to abusive incidents against Panettiere between 2019 and 2020. Hickerson pleaded no contest in April 2021 and was sentenced to 45 days in jail, four years of probation, 52 domestic violence classes and a five-year restraining order; he served 33 days. Judge Olivia Rosales denied his latest motion on Aug. 13, after prosecutors objected — the second such denial, following a similar rejected request in July 2025. Panettiere wrote candidly about the abuse, including a 2020 incident in Jackson, Wyoming, in which police alleged Hickerson punched her in the face, in her May memoir “This Is Me: A Reckoning.” She told Us Weekly that leaving an abusive relationship felt like “trying to rip a weed out” that kept growing back.

How is she being remembered?

Tributes poured in from co-stars and friends. Bethany Joy Lenz, who acted alongside a young Panettiere on “Guiding Light,” described her as remarkably intelligent and intuitive even as a child. Kelly Osbourne called her “such a good friend” and said she deserved better. Viola Davis, her co-star in the 2016 film “Custody,” called her “an old, wise soul” and said she wished the world had more time with her. Podcast host Jay Shetty, who had recently interviewed Panettiere, said he was “truly heartbroken.” Her father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement that she was “an incredible light and a force of nature” and asked for privacy.

What did her career and public struggles look like?

Panettiere began acting as an infant, appeared in dozens of commercials by age 5, and built a three-decade career including “Remember the Titans,” “Bring It On,” “Heroes” (as Claire Bennet), the “Scream” franchise, and “Nashville,” which earned her two Golden Globe nominations. She had spoken publicly in recent years about opioid and alcohol addiction beginning in her teens, postpartum depression, and losing primary custody of her daughter. Her younger brother, Jansen, died in 2023 at 28 from a heart condition. Her memoir, released in May, detailed her childhood in the industry, addiction, and the abuse she experienced.

What comes next?

The coroner’s office says the investigation remains active, with cause and manner of death pending toxicology and other studies. No timeline for final results has been given.

Sources

Featured photo: Tabercil via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)