UPDATE: Speculation has run rampant on social media about the cause of Hayden Panettiere's death. TMZ has now provided some clarity, debunking false claims that foul play was somehow involved.
According to the site, "the actress was unresponsive and in cardiac arrest inside the residence" when paramedics were called, and medics were tasked with "[performing] CPR on someone who overdosed." Unfortunately, nothing worked, and Panettiere could not be revived.
An autopsy is scheduled for later today, but police have no suspicions about anyone else being involved (meaning she was not murdered). It's unknown whether the actress's on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson was present at the time of her death.
We have some extremely sad news to share with you today, as TMZ has confirmed that Heroes and Scream 4 star Hayden Panettiere has died, aged 36. The actress reportedly passed away early on Sunday, though there's currently no word on what happened.
The tabloid has, however, shared an update that includes information from a close source who claims Panettiere "had been complaining about back pain in the past year." The police are said to have responded to an incident involving the Nashville alum on Sunday, confirming there is "currently an open investigation."
Panettiere leaves behind a body of work that made an indelible impression on audiences across film, television, animation, and video games, spending more than three decades in the entertainment industry. Having begun acting as a child, she counted Remember the Titans and Pixar's A Bug's Life among her earliest roles.
Heroes transformed Panettiere into a household name. As Claire Bennet, the seemingly ordinary cheerleader who discovers she possesses the power to regenerate, she became one of the defining faces of the superhero drama's 2006 debut. She later showed an entirely different side of her talent in Nashville, a hit series that ran for six seasons.
Horror fans will remember her as Kirby Reed in Scream 4 and Scream VI, while gamers embraced her voice work as Kairi and Xion in the Kingdom Hearts franchise and Sam Giddings in Until Dawn.
"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden," a representative for Panettiere said today. "She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her -- and to the millions who watched her onscreen."
Panettiere has talked openly about her struggles with mental health and the loss of her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, who died in 2023 when he was aged just 28. The actress was also a mother to her daughter, Kaya, born in 2014.
Reflecting on her role in Heroes when her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, was released earlier this year, she said, "I loved Claire, being on the Sunset Gower stages, the sets that they would create, and getting to do stunts. It was like a dream come true for me. It was just the best environment. Everyone was happy all the time, even in the intense scenes."
Our thoughts go out to Hayden's friends and family at this time.