Hayden Panettiere’s mother says account of her final hours ‘full of holes’

American actress Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in Heroes, Nashville and the Scream franchise, has died at the age of 36, with authorities still investigating the precise cause of her death.

Panettiere was found unresponsive at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, on August 16. Emergency responders found her in cardiac arrest and attempted life-saving measures, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have said their preliminary investigation found no indication of foul play, while an official cause and manner of death have yet to be determined.

Possible overdose investigated

Questions surrounding Panettiere’s final hours have intensified after emergency records indicated that authorities initially responded to a report involving a possible overdose. Her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, has reportedly said that he and his brother found her unresponsive and attempted to revive her before emergency personnel arrived.

Reports citing Hickerson said Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, was administered before CPR was performed. The use of Narcan, however, does not establish that an opioid overdose caused her death, and authorities have not announced such a conclusion.

An autopsy reportedly found no signs of traumatic injury. Investigators are awaiting toxicology findings, which could provide crucial information about whether drugs, medication or another medical factor contributed to her death.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration has also joined the investigation. Its involvement has added scrutiny to the circumstances surrounding Panettiere’s death, although the agency's participation should not be interpreted as confirmation that illegal drugs were responsible.

Family mourns sudden loss

Panettiere’s family confirmed her death through a representative, remembering the actress for the energy and affection she brought to those around her. Her father, Skip Panettiere, paid tribute to his daughter as the family sought privacy following the sudden loss.

Her death came three years after her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died unexpectedly at 28 from complications associated with an enlarged heart. Hayden had spoken publicly about the profound effect her brother’s death had on her and the difficulty of coping with the loss.

Panettiere is survived by her daughter Kaya, whom she shared with former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Actress had discussed addiction

Throughout the later years of her career, Panettiere had spoken openly about struggles with alcohol and substance use as well as postpartum depression. She discussed those experiences publicly and also addressed them in her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, released earlier this year.

Her history has inevitably become part of the public discussion surrounding her death, but investigators have not yet determined whether those earlier struggles were directly connected to what happened on August 16. Until toxicology and other medical findings are complete, reports describing her death definitively as an overdose remain premature.

Panettiere had also discussed the intense pressures she experienced after entering the entertainment industry as a child. Her death has since prompted renewed debate in Hollywood about the long-term welfare of performers who begin working at very young ages.

From child star to ‘Heroes’ fame

Panettiere began appearing in commercials before she was a year old and moved into television acting as a child. Early roles in One Life to Live and Guiding Light established her as a familiar face before she transitioned into films and prime-time television.

Her international breakthrough arrived with NBC’s Heroes, in which she played cheerleader Claire Bennet, a teenager with extraordinary regenerative abilities. The character became one of the defining faces of the hit superhero series and turned Panettiere into a global television star.

She later played country singer Juliette Barnes in Nashville, earning two Golden Globe nominations for the performance. Her other prominent credits included Remember the Titans, Racing Stripes, Bring It On: All or Nothing and the Scream films, where she played fan-favourite Kirby Reed.

Cause awaits toxicology report

For now, the central question surrounding Panettiere’s death remains unanswered. Cardiac arrest describes the condition in which her heart had stopped when emergency personnel arrived, rather than necessarily explaining what caused it.

The toxicology report, together with the autopsy and investigative findings, is expected to provide a clearer picture. Authorities have not announced when the final determination will be released.

Until then, Panettiere’s official cause of death remains pending, and claims attributing it conclusively to an overdose or any particular substance go beyond what investigators have established so far.