Hayden Panettiere Suffered Apparent Overdose, Cardiac Arrest

Hayden Panettiere Found Unresponsive, Death Under Investigation

More information has come to light about Hayden Panettiere's death.

After the Nashville star died Aug. 16 at age 36, South Carolina authorities shared details about her final moments in 911 dispatch calls obtained by People and TMZ.

In the audio, the dispatcher directed medics to Panettiere's Greenville home, with an Emergency Medical Service worker reporting "overdose," before adding, "CPR in progress.

When officers and EMS personnel responded to a call placed by the actress' acquaintance, they found an unresponsive woman at approximately 1:51 p.m. local time.

"Upon arrival, medical assistance was administered," noted a statement to E! News, "however, the individual, later identified as Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene."

"The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner's Office," the message continued. "The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances."

Panettiere—mom to daughter Kaia, 11, with ex Wladimir Klitschko— had been open about her yearslong sobriety journey after struggling with alcoholism and an opioid addiction.

"I was on top of the world and I ruined it," she told People in July 2022. "I'd think I hit rock bottom, but then there's that trap door that opens."

The actress—who began working at 11 months old—recalled being offered "happy pills" at 15 before attending events. 

"They were to make me peppy during interviews," she admitted. "I had no idea that this was not an appropriate thing, or what door that would open for me when it came to my addiction."

Although she struggled in her personal life, working on Heroes kept her somewhat in check.

"My saving grace is that I couldn't be messy while on set and working," she explained. "But things kept getting out of control [off set]. And as I got older, the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn't live without." 

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Alcohol especially was a crutch. 

"Alcohol let me say 'f--k it, I'll deal with everything later,'" and within thirty seconds, I was in the zone. It was like coming up for air and breathing again," she wrote in her 2026 memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, adding that a doctor once told her that if she didn't stop drinking, she'd "be dead within five years."

Ultimately, in 2018, the Bring It On: All or Nothing actress gave Klitschko full custody as she focused on her sobriety. 

"This hasn't been easy and there were a lot of ups and downs," she explained to People. "But I don't regret even the ugliest things that have happened to me. I feel incredibly accomplished. And I feel like I have a second chance."

For a look back at Panettiere's life, keep reading.

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