The entertainment world is mourning a major loss. South Carolina authorities have just released new details following the heartbreaking death of actress Hayden Panettiere.
The beloved star, best known for her iconic roles in Heroes and Nashville, passed away this past Sunday at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina.
According to reports, police and EMS personnel rushed to the scene at Judson Mill Lofts—where Panettiere had been staying temporarily—shortly before 2 p.m. on Sunday after receiving a call about an unresponsive woman. Despite immediate medical intervention, she was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. She was 36.
RELATED: Hayden Panettiere’s Boyfriend Thrown In Jail After Second Beating
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office confirmed early Monday afternoon that Panettiere was in cardiac arrest when an acquaintance placed the 911 call. An autopsy performed on Monday revealed that there were “no signs of trauma … discovered that would have contributed to [Panettiere’s] death.”
While dispatch audio makes mention of an overdose, officials have yet to confirm an official cause of death.
“The cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies,” the coroner’s office stated on Monday, adding that the “investigation remains active and ongoing.”
The talented performer, who was just days away from celebrating her 37th birthday this Friday, had been incredibly candid about her personal struggles. In her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, released this past May, she opened up about the pressures of early fame, her battle with alcohol addiction, and her experience with postpartum depression following the 2014 birth of her daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
In a touching statement, Panettiere’s father, Skip, remembered his daughter as “an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her and to millions who watched her onscreen.” He has requested privacy as the family navigates this devastating time.
Panettiere’s career was nothing short of legendary. Starting as a child star on One Life to Live at just 4 years old, she went on to captivate audiences as Claire Bennet on Heroes and Juliette Barnes on Nashville, racking up nominations from the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Television Awards, and Teen Choice Awards. Her impressive filmography also includes fan-favorites like Remember the Titans, Ice Princess, Raising Helen, and Scream 4.