On August 17, Page Six reported that actress Hayden Panettiere had been confirmed dead at the age of 37. Her sudden passing left her family, colleagues and fans devastated. An autopsy has reportedly been completed, with no signs of trauma, homicide or other criminal activity found. However, authorities have yet to announce the exact cause of death, and the investigation remains ongoing.
In an exclusive interview with Page Six, a neighbor said Panettiere died inside an Airbnb apartment at the upscale Judson Mill Lofts residential complex in the United States. The neighbor said residents had no idea the actress had been staying there. “I didn’t know how long she had been there. I’d never seen her, and I never heard anyone else say they had seen her,” the resident reportedly said.
According to the neighbor, police remained at the apartment complex from around midday until late in the evening. Residents only realized that someone had died after a medical examiner’s vehicle arrived. The neighbor also recalled seeing two men sitting outside the apartment alongside police, appearing stunned and devastated. They reportedly remained silent with their heads lowered.
Following the incident, the apartment management sent emails to residents explaining that the death was not being treated as a criminal case in an effort to reassure the community. Nevertheless, residents remained shocked to learn that a well-known actress had died inside their building.
According to TMZ, Panettiere was found unconscious by someone she knew, who called 911 at approximately 1:51 p.m. on Sunday, August 16, U.S. time. The emergency call reportedly described an unidentified woman suffering cardiac arrest at a residence. Paramedics performed advanced cardiac life support and CPR but were unable to save her. Panettiere was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:32 p.m.
Difficult Final Years
U.S. media reported that Panettiere had traveled from Los Angeles to South Carolina just one day before her death, accompanied by her on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson. Earlier this year, she had reportedly experienced severe back pain that made it difficult to move her legs or walk. In March, she was seen using crutches at an airport.
Before her death, Panettiere had openly discussed several personal struggles over the years, including postpartum depression, substance abuse, alcoholism and psychological trauma. During a promotional event for her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning, which marked her final public appearance, she was reportedly speaking unusually slowly and slurring her words.
Panettiere also suffered another devastating loss in February 2023, when her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, died at the age of 28 from a heart condition. The actress previously said that losing her brother felt like losing “half of her soul.”
Born in 1989, Hayden Panettiere rose to fame as a child star in Hollywood. She gained international recognition for playing Claire Bennet in Heroes, portraying a high school student with extraordinary regenerative abilities. Following the success of the series, she continued her acting career with a starring role as country singer Juliette Barnes in Nashville, where she was also able to showcase her singing abilities.
Sources: kenh14