Hayden Panettiere dies at 36 in South Carolina after medical emergency

Actress Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in "Heroes" and "Nashville," died on August 16, 2026, in Greenville, South Carolina. She was 36 years old. The Greenville County Coroner's Office confirmed her death following a medical emergency, stating that an autopsy found no signs of trauma contributing to her death. The official cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation.

Emergency responders were dispatched to an apartment complex in Greenville on Sunday afternoon after a report of a cardiac arrest. Audio from the 911 call indicated first responders discussed a suspected overdose. A neighbor reported hearing commotion and talk of a cardiac arrest in the building's hallway. Panettiere had traveled to South Carolina from Los Angeles with her ex-boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, the day before her death. It is unclear if he was present during the medical emergency.

Panettiere's ex-fiancé and the father of her daughter, former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, expressed the family's "profound shock and grief" in a statement posted on August 18. "The announcement of Hayden's tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon," Klitschko...