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Actress Hayden Panettiere Dies at Age 36 in South Carolina
Just the facts
Actress Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in Heroes, Remember the Titans, and Nashville, died on August 16, 2026, at the age of 36. Greenville police and emergency medical responders initiated advanced cardiac life support measures after receiving a 911 call from an acquaintance, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. The Greenville County Coroner's Office reported that an autopsy revealed no signs of physical trauma, though the official cause and manner of death remain pending further toxicology studies. Tributes were paid by her ex-fiancé, former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko—with whom she shared an 11-year-old daughter, Kaya—and numerous Hollywood colleagues.
Why this is news
Emergency medical personnel responded to a call on Sunday afternoon at Judson Mill Lofts in Greenville, South Carolina, where actress Hayden Panettiere was found in cardiac arrest.
Developments timeline
- A police report released by law enforcement confirmed that actress Hayden Panettiere was accompanied by her boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother when first responders arrived at her Greenville apartment, where officers located prescription medications while her official cause of death remains pending autopsy results.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.