GREENVILLE, S.C. – Fans and mourners left flowers Tuesday at the Greenville, South Carolina, apartment complex where actress Hayden Panettiere was found dead Sunday. She was 36. A cause of death has not been determined, but a newly released police report and radio communications from first responders are shedding new light on her final moments.
What the police report reveals
According to the police report, when officers arrived at the scene, one officer observed “multiple EMS and firemen performing CPR on a white female patient who appeared to be unresponsive.”
In radio chatter, first responders used the word “overdose.” A dispatcher can be heard saying: “Respond Medic 29, Easley Bridge Road. Overdose. CPR in Progress.”
Toxicology results are pending and could take two to three months, according to Panettiere’s mother, Lesley Vogel.
Her on-and-off-again boyfriend called 911
Panettiere’s on-and-off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother Zach were with her at the time of her death. They called 911.
Candid about her struggles
In recent years, Panettiere spoke openly about her battle with addiction. “So I was self-medicating and looking for relief at the bottom of a bottle,” she said.
In 2020, she spent eight months in a rehabilitation facility to address opioid and alcohol addiction and mental health issues. She said postpartum depression following the 2014 birth of her daughter played a role in those struggles. In a May 18, 2026, interview with Gayle King, Panettiere described her experience: “There I am with this beautiful, healthy, beautiful baby girl and this very fortunate life. And I could not for the life of me be happy.”
Family reacts
Panettiere’s former fiancé and the father of her only child paid tribute to her Tuesday, writing: “Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief … She left this world far too soon.”
Her mother, Lesley Vogel, also spoke about her daughter Tuesday, saying she believes Hayden “sadly lost her way and I wish it were different.”
Panettiere, best known for her starring roles in Heroes and Nashville, would have turned 37 on Friday.