17 August,2026 07:03 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Hayden Panettiere (Pic/X)
Hollywood actress Hayden Panettiere, known for Heroes, Nashville, and the Scream franchise, has died at the age of 36. Details surrounding her death have now surfaced, with dispatch audio reportedly mentioning a possible overdose and cardiac arrest. However, authorities said there were no initial signs of foul play.
According to TMZ, paramedics tried to revive Panettiere using emergency medical procedures, including medication, breathing support, and chest compressions, but she was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. Authorities were alerted after a friend of the Scream actress called 911.
Dispatch audio obtained by PEOPLE reportedly mentioned a possible overdose and cardiac arrest. However, police said there were no initial signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. The official cause of death will be determined after an autopsy.
Panettiere's father, Skip, announced the actor's death in a statement provided to ABC News on Sunday. "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," his statement said.
Panettiere, who would have turned 37 on Friday, began her career as a child actor in commercials and soap operas. Her role as a cheerleader with superpowers in Heroes propelled her to fame in 2006, with the series revolving around the mantra "Save the cheerleader, save the world."
She went on to win three Teen Choice Awards for that role and was a Grammy Award nominee for a children's spoken-word album recorded a few years after the release of the animated movie A Bug's Life. Panettiere later played a brash country upstart opposite Connie Britton on Nashville, which aired on ABC for four seasons before being cancelled and revived on CMT.
Panettiere's younger brother, Jansen, who was also an actor, died of a heart condition in 2023 at age 28. She had been open about her struggles with alcohol addiction and depression, including after the birth of her daughter with Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko in 2014. She entered rehab in 2015 while filming Nashville.
