Hayden Panettiere, who became a household name as a teenager for her role in Heroes and later starred in Nashville and multiple Scream films, has died at age 36.
Panettiere was pronounced dead at a South Carolina apartment Sunday, August 16. A cause of death has not been revealed, but an autopsy showed no signs of trauma. Toxicology reports are pending and could take up to 12 weeks, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.
A newly released incident report states that the 911 call was made by Brian Hickerson, 37, who is referred to as Panettiere’s boyfriend. His brother Zach Hickerson was also present on the scene.
Brian Hickerson reportedly turned over a “bag of medication” belonging to Panettiere to the police, but the contents of that bag has so far been redacted. The Independent has approached police for further information.
The actor’s father, Skip, confirmed Panettiere’s death in a heartbreaking statement to ABC News. Panettiere’s ex-fiance, Wladimir Klitschko said he was “deeply saddened” by the news but vowed to make sure the couple’s daughter, Kaya, “remembers the person” Panettiere was.
Dozens of Panettiere’s co-stars including Connie Britton, Tim Allen, Viola Davis and Melissa Barrera have offered heartfelt tributes to the two-time Golden Globe nominee on social media.
Among her most memorable roles were Sheryl Yoast in the 2000 Denzel Washington-led film Remember the Titans, high school cheerleader Claire Bennet on NBC’s sci-fi drama Heroes (2006-2010), and aspiring country singer Juliette Barnes on the hit TV series Nashville (2012-2018).
Her New York Times bestselling memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, was published in May this year, in which she looked back at her childhood in Hollywood and her experiences with addiction, postpartum depression, abusive relationships, and the loss of custody of her daughter, Kaya, whom she shares with former heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
Hayden Panettiere dead: Heroes and Nashville star dies aged 36
Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in Heroes, Nashville, and the Scream franchise, has died aged 36.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” Panettiere’s father, Skip said in a statement to ABC News. “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.”
No cause of death was announced.
Read moreShahana Yasmin17 August 2026 05:06Pinned
Wladimir Klitschko breaks silence over ex-fiancée’s death
In an Instagram post, Wladimir Klitschko wrote: “Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief.
“The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon. Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya.
“She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry. Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives.
“To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was.
“I extend my deepest condolences to Hayden’s parents, her friends, and her fans, who are also grieving today. Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon.
“I ask everyone to please respect our family’s feelings and privacy during this incredibly difficult time. For now, this is all I wish to say.
“Thank you to everyone who is supporting my family and expressing their sincere condolences.
“Rest easy, Hayden. May you find eternal peace. #WeLoveYouHayden”
Read moreCaitlin Hornik18 August 2026 14:44
Panettiere’s Remember the Titans co-star reveals he smoked heroin at film’s premiere: ‘I believed I wouldn’t wake up’
Ethan Suplee has paid tribute to his Remember the Titans co-star Hayden Panettiere, sharing how her “energy and innocence” briefly healed him during a difficult period.
Sharing an old photo of him holding Panettiere at the film’s red carpet premiere, Suplee recalled on Instagram how she “ran up to me, leaped into my arms, and gave me a big hug.”
“Holding her I was lighter, some of her energy and innocence washed over me, and for a moment my smile was genuine,” he added in the caption, revealing that soon after, he “went from the press line to the bathroom and smoked heroin.”
Remember the Titans star reveals he smoked heroin at film’s premiere
‘My Name Is Earl’ alum co-starred alongside a young Hayden Panettiere in the 2000 sports dramaShahana Yasmin19 August 2026 06:15
Hayden Panettiere’s estranged mother speaks about her daughter after her death
Hayden Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel, has spoken publicly for the first time since her daughter’s death, saying the actor was “an amazingly talented person” but had struggled with growing up in the entertainment industry.
“I think Hayden was an amazingly talented person in so many departments,” Vogel told NBC News. “I think young people who grow up in the entertainment industry – it is a struggle and it’s a very challenging industry and it’s not unusual for them to sadly find the wrong path.”
“I think it becomes very difficult to be true to yourself, and I think Hayden sadly lost her way,” she continued. “I wish it were different. I wish she had stayed true to herself because she had many incredible attributes.”
Vogel added: “I just feel that she’s with her brother and they’re at peace.” Panettiere’s younger brother, Jansen, died in 2023 aged 28.
Panettiere’s relationship with Vogel had become strained long before her death. In her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, she wrote that the boundary between mother and manager had blurred as she grew up, leaving her feeling she had become “the confidant and the assistant and the therapist and the shoulder to cry on and everything but her child”.
Shahana Yasmin19 August 2026 06:00
Mariska Hargitay recalls Hayden Panettiere’s ‘light’ after SVU appearances
Mariska Hargitay has shared a tribute to Hayden Panettiere, who appeared twice on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit before becoming a star in Heroes and Nashville.
Hargitay posted a black-and-white photograph from Panettiere’s second appearance on the crime drama, which aired in 2005. Panettiere first appeared on SVU in 2001, playing troubled teenager Ashley Austin, before returning four years later as another character, Angela Agnelli.
“Holding you in my heart. Heartbroken about your hard journey. Remembering your light,” Hargitay wrote alongside the photograph.
Panettiere was 12 during her first SVU appearance and 16 when she returned to the series.
Shahana Yasmin19 August 2026 05:45
Panettiere spoke about her relationship with her daughter, Kaya
Panettiere gave birth to her daughter with her ex-fiance Wladimir Klitschko in 2014. She then gave Klitschko full custody of Kaya in 2018 amid her severe postpartum depression.
“It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but I wanted to be a good mom,” she told People in 2022.
“And sometimes that means letting go.”
Panettiere added: “She has a beautiful life. She’s smart, she’s funny, and for whatever reason, she still loves me.”
Kevin Perry19 August 2026 05:30
Solange Knowles calls Hayden Panettiere a ‘warrior’ in tribute
Solange Knowles has shared a tribute to Hayden Panettiere, her co-star in the 2006 cheerleading film Bring It On: All or Nothing.
“Rest in peace Hayden. In peace, because you are so deserving of it,” Knowles wrote on Instagram Stories. “We had so many parallels in our lives, and the world watched you so courageously live in your radical truth telling your story: we watched your endless quest for vulnerability, and healing.”
Knowles called them “warriors for life” and said she would “salute your journey” and the work they created together, which “became something that really means something to people”.
“The light surrounds you,” she wrote.
Shahana Yasmin19 August 2026 05:15
Police report sheds new light on Hayden Panettiere’s death
A police report has provided new details about the circumstances surrounding Hayden Panettiere’s death, including the presence of Brian Hickerson, referred to as her boyfriend, and his brother Zach at the Greenville, South Carolina, apartment where she was found.
As local station WYFF4 reports, the brothers called 911 after finding Panettiere unresponsive at Judson Mill Lofts.
Brian, 37, also handed officers a bag containing Panettiere’s medication, although the names of the drugs were redacted.
The officer wrote: “I observed Zach to be very emotional while EMS [Emergency Medical Services] were working on Hayden. Brian did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased.”
Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2.31pm. Police said there were no signs of foul play, while the cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and toxicology results.
Shahana Yasmin19 August 2026 05:00
Bring It On co-star Gustavo Carr says Hayden Panettiere brought ‘a piece of her soul’ to acting
Gustavo Carr described his Bring It On: All or Nothing co-star Hayden Panettiere as “wise beyond her years”.
Carr played Jesse, Panettiere’s love interest Britney in the 2006 cheerleading sequel. “What I would give to just have been able to give her one more hug,” he told People magazine.
“She just was wise beyond her years and present. The artist that she is – I don’t think we give her enough credit for how the prodigy that she is in my eyes, the level of expertise in her craft.”
Carr said the pair “were friends from the jump”, remembering the “banter” behind their memorable krump-style dance-off in the film.
“She was a kind, supportive, giving, lighthearted, funny human,” he said. “You can tell she’s just bringing a piece of her soul to her work.”
“I hope that people can give her the flowers that she deserves,” Carr added. “She was a prodigy. She is a prodigy.”
Shahana Yasmin19 August 2026 04:45
‘I didn’t get a chance to be a kid,’ Panettiere said
Speaking to People in 2022 about her career as a child star, Panettiere said: “There are happy memories, but there was also a lot of trauma.
“Crying over and over again [for a scene], what does that do to a child’s mind, when they’re praised for feeling sad?”
“I didn’t get a chance to be a kid,” she continued.
“And when I was at school, I was bullied. The lunchroom was the bane of my existence. I was only about 12 when I had an identity crisis. I just didn’t know where I fit in.”
Kevin Perry19 August 2026 04:30NewerOlder