New details have emerged surrounding the sudden death of Hollywood actress Hayden Panettiere, with 911 dispatch audio reportedly indicating that emergency crews responded to a possible overdose and cardiac arrest.
Panettiere, 36, was found unresponsive Sunday at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, before being pronounced dead less than an hour later.
An unidentified acquaintance called 911 at approximately 1:51 p.m. and reported an “unresponsive female” experiencing “cardiac arrest,” according to dispatch audio obtained by the New York Post.
Paramedics rushed to the apartment and attempted to resuscitate the “Heroes” and “Nashville” star using advanced cardiac life support.
Such emergency treatment can include CPR, defibrillation, airway management and medications administered in an attempt to restore normal heart function.
Minutes after the initial call, another emergency responder could reportedly be heard describing the incident as a possible “overdose” while stating that “CPR is in progress.”
Panettiere was ultimately pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m., just five days before what would have been her 37th birthday.
Authorities have not announced an official cause of death, meaning the reference to a possible overdose in the dispatch communications does not establish that an overdose caused her death.
Police said Panettiere was discovered by an “acquaintance” but have not publicly identified that individual.
The actress reportedly traveled from Los Angeles on Saturday with her on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, although it remains unclear whether he was the person who discovered her.
Police said investigators found no signs of foul play. An autopsy was expected to be conducted Monday as authorities work to determine what caused Panettiere’s sudden death.
The circumstances have drawn additional attention because Panettiere had spoken publicly for years about her previous struggles with alcohol and opioid addiction.
Her death came just months after the publication of her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” in which she discussed addiction, postpartum depression, domestic abuse and the pressures she experienced growing up in Hollywood.
Panettiere began working in entertainment before she was a year old, appearing in commercials at approximately 11 months.
She later appeared in the soap operas “One Life to Live” and “Guiding Light” before voicing Princess Dot in the 1998 Pixar film “A Bug’s Life.”
Her performance in the animated film helped make Panettiere one of the youngest performers ever nominated for a Grammy Award.
She continued acting throughout her childhood, appearing in “Remember the Titans” before taking roles in films including “Racing Stripes,” “Ice Princess,” “Bring It On: All or Nothing” and “I Love You, Beth Cooper.”
Panettiere became a household name after starring as Claire Bennet in NBC’s “Heroes,” which premiered in 2006, according to the New York Post.
She later portrayed country singer Juliette Barnes in “Nashville,” a role that earned her two Golden Globe nominations.
Away from the screen, Panettiere became increasingly candid about her struggles with substance abuse.
In a 2022 interview with People, she said she was only 15 when someone began giving her what she described as “happy pills” before red-carpet appearances.
“They were to make me peppy during interviews,” Panettiere recalled.
“I had no idea that this was not an appropriate thing, or what door that would open for me when it came to my addiction.”
Panettiere also struggled with postpartum depression after giving birth to her daughter, Kaya, in December 2014. She shared her daughter with former fiancé and heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.
She entered a treatment facility in 2015 and later underwent another lengthy period of rehabilitation in 2020 for alcohol and drug addiction.
In her memoir, Panettiere recalled doctors warning her about the potentially fatal consequences of continuing to drink, saying she was told she could be dead within five years if she did not stop.
Despite the reported reference to an overdose in Sunday’s emergency dispatch communications, authorities have not confirmed that drugs played a role in Panettiere’s death.
The autopsy and subsequent investigation are expected to provide further information about what caused the actress’s fatal cardiac arrest.
