Actress Hayden Panettiere died Sunday at age 36 in an apparent drug overdose, news outlets report.
Ms. Panettiere died in South Carolina, and the investigation into her death is ongoing, according to her representative.
Police in Greenville, South Carolina, said the preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. TMZ reported that a friend found the actress dead inside a South Carolina home after emergency responders were called for a person in cardiac arrest.
Police said in a statement to NBC News: “Upon arrival, medical assistance was administered; however, the individual, later identified as Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
An autopsy is being performed today to determine the exact cause of death.
Ms. Panettiere began acting as an infant in commercials and later became known for playing Claire Bennet in “Heroes” and country star Juliette Barnes in “Nashville.”
Her father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement: “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” and asked for privacy for the family.
Ms. Panettiere had spoken publicly this year about struggling with postpartum depression and addiction, and the grief around the passing of her brother, Jansen Panettiere, who died in 2023 at age 28 from a heart condition.
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