'Heroes' star Hayden Panettiere dead at 36; authorities say no indication of foul play

Actress came out as bisexual in May, said she started dating women at 'a very, very young age'

By Ian M. Giatti, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Hayden Panettiere, the star of TV hits "Heroes" and "Nashville," died Sunday in South Carolina. She was 36 years old. 

Panettiere was found unresponsive at the Judson Mill Lofts apartment complex in Greenville around 1:51 p.m. on Aug. 16, after an acquaintance called 911, according to the Greenville Police Department. Emergency responders, including firefighters and Medic 24, attempted lifesaving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:31 p.m. Reports indicate her boyfriend and brother were with her during her final moments, though it remains unclear who placed the 911 call, according to Fox Carolina.

An autopsy completed Monday by the Greenville County Coroner's Office found no signs of trauma, and Coroner Mike Ellis said preliminary findings have not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. Her cause and manner of death remain undetermined while toxicology testing and further investigation continue.

TMZ has reported that dispatch audio indicated responders were sent to treat a person in cardiac arrest amid a possible overdose, though this hasn't been officially confirmed by authorities.

Her father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere, remembered his daughter in a statement shared Monday with People. “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.”

Panettiere entered show business as a child, appearing in commercials before taking roles on daytime TV with early credits including “One Life to Live” and “Guiding Light.” Her breakthrough came in 2006, when she was cast as Claire Bennet on NBC’s “Heroes,” a role which catapulted Panettiere into an international star. 

Her “Heroes” character, Claire, a high-school cheerleader with the ability to regenerate from injuries, became the center of the show's famous phrase: “Save the cheerleader, save the world.”

Panettiere embraced the show's unusual mixture of science fiction and character drama. Speaking with The Associated Press in 2008, she said: “At the core of it are these human stories that people can relate to, very rugged. And it’s just grabbed everyone in every age group.” 

The role earned her three Teen Choice Awards and launched a film career that included roles in “Remember the Titans,” “Ice Princess,” “Bring It On: All or Nothing” and “Scream 4.”

Panettiere found another defining role in “Nashville,” the ABC country-music drama that debuted in 2012 in which she played Juliette Barnes, a talented but troubled singer whose career and personal life frequently collided.

Performing the character's songs herself, her recordings eventually appeared on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, and the series led to concert tours and two Golden Globe nominations for Panettiere. 

Her death came only days before her 37th birthday and just three years after she lost her younger brother Jansen, who died in New York in February 2023 at the age of 28 from cardiomegaly, an enlarged heart condition, coupled with aortic valve complications. The siblings had both acted and had appeared together in projects including "Tiger Cruise" and "The Forger."

Prior to her death, Panettiere spoke publicly about her life growing up in Hollywood from just a young child to a TV star. She told US Weekly in May that she identified as bisexual and that she started dating women at “a very, very young age.” 

In May, she also released This Is Me: A Reckoning, a memoir that examined her childhood in Hollywood, addiction, depression, motherhood, abusive relationships and the emotional consequences of growing up famous. 

The book also detailed troubling experiences she said occurred during her years in the entertainment industry, including an encounter aboard a yacht when she was 18. 

In a May 11 episode of the "On Purpose with Jay Shetty" podcast, Panettiere said the incident began when she was "led by somebody that I had grown to trust and see as a protector and somebody who had my back."

She added, “It was like a surprise, presented as though it was like a surprise, and it was this very small room. And she physically put me in the bed next to this undressed man who was very famous and had his hands like, this was just, you know, an average day for him and this is something that happens all the time.”

While she ultimately was able to leave the situation, when asked why she had chosen not to identify the man, Panettiere explained that some of the people she wrote about remained connected to the entertainment business.

“Things happened a long time ago, but it was to protect me and my company from being sued by some very pissed-off famous people,” she wrote in her book.

Panettiere is survived by her parents and her daughter Kaya.