Celebrity3 min(s) read
Published 10:12 17 Aug 2026 GMT
Details about Hayden Panettiere's health have surfaced following the sudden and tragic news of her death.
The Scream and Nashville actress' death was reported on Sunday (August 16), in a statement from her representative to ABC News, with no cause of death given.
Her passing has left many in shock, with authorities working to uncover what happened before she died.
The 36-year-old was found unresponsive by authorities at a residence in South Carolina on Sunday, August 16.
Her team confirmed the tragic news of her passing and is working with officials to find the cause of death - she had reportedly traveled from Los Angeles to Greenville one day before the incident occurred.
Now, it has been revealed by TMZ that Panettiere had a health complaint in the months leading up to her death.
The publication reported that law enforcement sources confirm police responded to an incident related to the actress on Sunday, and there is currently an open investigation.
They reported at 8:20PM Pacific Time that a source close to Panettiere claimed she had recently been complaining about back pain over the course of the past year.
No other information was given with regard to the condition, as the investigation is ongoing according to local law enforcement.
A statement from the Greenville Police Department said, as per NBC News: "[Officers] accompanied by EMS personnel, responded to a report of an unresponsive female at around 1:50PM Sunday.
"Upon arrival, medical assistance was administered; however, the individual, later identified as Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
"The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner's Office. The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. An acquaintance of Ms. Panettiere placed the 911 call."
Skip Panettiere, Hayden's father, said in a statement on Sunday: "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,
"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," it read.
The father also asked for privacy, while "our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss."
Details around the former child star's death were not made public.
Before her death, Panettiere spoke openly to parenting publication Mome for its July cover story about her daughter Kaya, now 11.
She also explained the decision to transfer custody to her former fiancé, Ukrainian former professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
Panettiere and Klitschko welcomed Kaya in 2014. But several years later, while struggling with substance addiction, the actress made the difficult decision to give custody of her daughter to Klitschko.
Looking back, Panettiere stressed that the decision was made because she believed she had to get herself well before she could properly care for her child.
"It wasn’t a decision I made lightly, nor was it a decision I even wanted to make," she admitted.
"I was going through a really challenging time in my life… I knew I needed to be able to put her first so that I could get the help I needed and be the mom she needed me to be."
