Director recalls Hayden Panettiere’s "dark energy" on set

Director Griff Furst has recalled a "dark energy" surrounding actress Hayden Panettiere during the filming of her 2025 movie A Breed Apart, reflecting on her demeanor in the months before her death. Panettiere, known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, died on August 16, 2026, at the age of 36 in Greenville, South Carolina. Her passing has prompted colleagues and loved ones to share memories of her final projects and ongoing struggles.

In an Instagram video posted on August 17, Furst described meeting Panettiere and her then-boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, on the set of the horror-comedy. He said the film's security team had alerted him that "something was off" after picking her up from the airport. "I walked over to greet her and her boyfriend Brian. He opened the door. Hayden was incredibly sweet and gracious and excited to work, but she was not OK," Furst stated. He added that while he would not detail the specifics, his experience on over 100 film sets made it clear "she wasn't OK and the energy in her room was pretty dark."

Furst emphasized that Panettiere's talent remained evident, calling her "a force to be reckoned with," but noted "there was something else in there, too,...