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.
An investigation is reportedly being conducted into Panettiere’s death involving Greenville police as well as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration after an incident report stated that her on-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, turned over a “bag of medication” to police.
Panettiere was best-known for playing 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 (which she claimed cost her a sponsorship with skincare brand Neutrogena), abusive relationships, and the loss of custody of her daughter, Kaya, whom she shares with former heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
Hayden Panettiere’s on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson breaks silence
Brian Hickerson has broken his silence following Hayden Panettiere’s death, issuing his first statement through his lawyer, Sloan Ellis.
“Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed,” Ellis said in a statement to TMZ. “As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play.”
The statement added: “Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”
Hickerson, who had an on-and-off relationship with Panettiere, was at the apartment when Panettiere was found unresponsive on Sunday, along with his brother Zach. He showed responding officers a bag of medication Panettiere had been taking, while authorities later said an autopsy found no signs of trauma.
The DEA has since joined the investigation, and Panettiere’s cause and manner of death remain pending.
Hickerson also has a history of domestic violence against Panettiere and pleaded no contest to two felony charges involving her in 2021.
Read moreShahana Yasmin21 August 2026 04:00
The heartbreaking family struggles that shaped Hayden Panettiere’s life off screen
The ‘Heroes’ and ‘Nashville’ star, who has tragically died aged 36, was bracingly honest about her experiences of familial estrangement, losing custody of her daughter and the depression that followed the sudden death of her younger brother, writes Katie Rosseinsky
The heartbreaking family struggles that shaped Hayden Panettiere’s life off screen
The ‘Heroes’ and ‘Nashville’ star, who has tragically died aged 36, was bracingly honest about her experiences of familial estrangement, losing custody of her daughter and the depression that followed the sudden death of her younger brother, writes Katie RosseinskyShahana Yasmin21 August 2026 06:10
Hayden Panettiere was a passionate advocate of Ukraine
Panettiere’s daughter moved to Ukraine to live with her father, boxer Wladimir Klitschko, in 2018, when Russia had illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and separatist forces were fighting Ukrainian troops in the Donbas region.
When Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion in February 2022, Klitschko, whose brother Vitalii is the mayor of Kyiv and also a former boxing champion, enlisted in the army. Kaya, the outlet reported, was not in Ukraine from the early days of the war.
Panettiere posted repeated messages of solidarity with Ukraine on Instagram in the years that followed.
“I have personally witnessed the strength of the Ukrainian people who fought so hard for their independence and have continued to passionately defend their country over the years. What Putin is doing is an absolute disgrace!,” she wrote on Instagram shortly after the invasion.
“This horrific moment in history sends a terrifying message: the message that in this day and age, in year 2022, it’s okay to violate the rights of free people and allow autocrats like Putin to take whatever they please,” she added.
Caitlin Hornik21 August 2026 05:50
Ice Princess director recalls Hayden Panettiere as ‘plucky and determined’
Ice Princess director Tim Fywell has paid tribute to Hayden Panettiere, recalling the actor’s dedication while making the 2005 Disney film alongside Michelle Trachtenberg.
“It was really upsetting to hear yesterday of the death of Hayden Panettiere at the age of 36,” Fywell said in a statement to Variety. “I remember a brave, sparky, dedicated young actress who lit up the set in rehearsals and then the screen with her vibrant talent.”
Panettiere played Gen Harwood, a talented figure skater and rival to Michelle Trachtenberg’s Casey Carlyle, a science student who discovers a passion for skating.
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Fywell described the two as “an amazing pair”, remembering Panettiere as “plucky and determined and perfectionist” who spent hours practising her skating and was “utterly focused on getting every acting take spot-on and truthful”.
“In what was often a tough and technically complicated shoot, and my first Hollywood movie, they were delightful to work with and great to have around,” he said. “I remember them both with huge affection, how they were 20 odd years ago, at that relatively uncomplicated time of their lives, two shining talents, gone far too soon.”
Shahana Yasmin21 August 2026 05:21
‘We made her feel unsupported’: Neutrogena responds after Hayden Panettiere’s death
Neutrogena has addressed criticism over its treatment of Hayden Panettiere, saying it understands that the actor felt “unsupported” during a difficult period in her life.
The skincare brand said in a statement on Thursday: “We are deeply saddened by Hayden Panettiere’s passing. For more than a decade, Hayden was a valued member of our Neutrogena community.”
“We are proud to have partnered with her and understand that we made her feel unsupported during a very difficult time,” it continued. “This is not what Neutrogena stands for or who we want to be.”
Neutrogena vowed to make a “significant investment to a long-standing community health partner” to support women’s health causes and promised to share more details “when plans are in place.”
Panettiere wrote in her memoir that Neutrogena cancelled her long-standing contract in 2015 after she spoke publicly about her postpartum depression. In a May interview with Jay Shetty, she said: “Of all the things that they would fire me over, this is the last thing that I thought they would ever fire me for.”
Shahana Yasmin21 August 2026 05:10
Ice Princess director remembers Panettiere and Michelle Trachtenberg
Tim Fywell, who directed Disney’s beloved 2005 ice skating movie Ice Princess, has reflected on the tragic fact that both of the film’s star have now died prematurely.
The death of Panettiere follows that of Michelle Trachtenberg, who died last year at the age of 39.
In a statement to Variety, Fywell said: “It was really upsetting to hear yesterday of the death of Hayden Panettiere at the age of 36. I remember a brave, sparky, dedicated young actress who lit up the set in rehearsals and then the screen with her vibrant talent. Michelle Trachtenberg, Hayden’s co-star in the movie, and she were an amazing pair.”
Fywell added that the pair had “very different personalities.” While Trachtenberg was “kooky, fun, with an infectious laugh and her brilliant sad-funny comic timing,” Panettiere was “plucky and determined and perfectionist, spending hours practicing her skating and utterly focused on getting every acting take spot-on and truthful. Which she did.”
Fywell concluded: “In what was often a tough and technically complicated shoot, and my first Hollywood movie, they were delightful to work with and great to have around. I remember them both with huge affection, how they were 20 odd years ago, at that relatively uncomplicated time of their lives, two shining talents, gone far too soon.”
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Disney fans remember beloved film after Hayden Panettiere dies a year on from co-star
‘Both Ice Princesses are gone,’ wrote one fan on social mediaCaitlin Hornik21 August 2026 04:50
Director says Hayden Panettiere was ‘fighting to stay sober’ before her death
Director Griff Furst has claimed Hayden Panettiere was “fighting to stay sober” while filming his 2025 movie A Breed Apart and he was asked to participate in an intervention.
“I was rooting for Hayden to beat the addiction that she spoke about openly and publicly,” Furst said in an Instagram video. He added that “no matter how certain you are that an actor or crew member is in a bad situation”, a producer or director can’t do much besides adjusting the schedule or getting a handler “to make sure that that individual is being taken care of as best as they can”.
He said he remained in contact with Panettiere’s team during filming, which led to him being asked to join the proposed intervention.
“I was asked to participate, and I said yes,” Furst claimed. “That intervention did not happen, at least not that I am aware of. I wasn’t leading the charge on it. It wouldn’t have been appropriate for me.”
Furst previously said Panettiere was accompanied by her on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson on the set and that she “deserved better company” around her.
Shahana Yasmin21 August 2026 04:30
Hayden Panettiere’s mother says they were estranged because of ‘a toxic individual’
Hayden Panettiere’s mother Lesley Vogel has said her estrangement from her daughter “was not for lack of care or love”, but blamed “the involvement of a toxic individual who I believe led to her death”.
In a statement to Entertainment Tonight, Vogel said Panettiere “unfortunately became involved with the wrong person” and that her family had tried to remove the person from her life.
“Although my daughter and I were estranged, it was not for lack of care or love,” Vogel said. “Hayden was a beautiful and talented young woman who unfortunately became involved with the wrong person, and although her family tried to extricate him from her life, we were unable to be successful.”
Vogel did not name Brian Hickerson in her latest statement, but she previously identified him, telling NBC News: “This person in her life that we have been trying to get rid of for quite some time was with her at her death and that was Brian Hickerson.”
Hickerson has denied involvement in her death through his lawyer, who said police had found no signs of foul play and that the investigation remains ongoing.
Shahana Yasmin21 August 2026 04:15
Hayden Panettiere’s father’s statement in full
Alan “Skip” Panettiere issued the following statement to ABC News regarding the death of his daughter, Hayden Panettiere.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” the statement said.
“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.”
He then asked for privacy “as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”
Caitlin Hornik21 August 2026 04:05
Hayden Panettiere’s cause of death remains unclear
Police in Greenville, South Carolina, said officers “responded to a report of an unresponsive female” at around 1:50 pm ET on Sunday (August 16). She was pronounced dead at the scene.
A cause of death has not been revealed, but an autopsy showed no signs of trauma. An investigation is ongoing.
Caitlin Hornik21 August 2026 03:05NewerOlder