Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Actress Hayden Panettiere died at the age of 36 after first responders found her in cardiac arrest at an apartment in Greenville on Sunday, Aug. 16, according to the coroner's office.
Officers responded to a 911 call around 1:50 p.m. Sunday, regarding a reported cardiac arrest at an apartment at 701 Easley Bridge Road. When first responders arrived, they found Panettiere in cardiac arrest and began advanced cardiac life support measures. Despite resuscitation efforts, she was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. The coroner's office says Panettiere had been temporarily staying at the residence.
Panettiere began working in entertainment as an infant and became widely known for her roles as Claire Bennet in "Heroes" and Juliette Barnes in "Nashville." Some of her other credits include "Ice Princess," "Racing Stripes" and "Scream 4."
Panettiere was also a mother to an 11-year-old daughter, Kaya. Her death has prompted fans to visit the Judson Mill District, where a small memorial has begun to take shape. Mychaela Martian, who lives about 20 minutes away in Travelers Rest, said Panettiere's death hit especially close to home.
"I lost my uncle eight years ago from an overdose. When I heard that’s how she passed away, and also being a millennial watching Hayden growing up in all the movies and TV shows, it kind of hit very close to home," Martian said.
Martian said she and her daughter drove by the apartment earlier Sunday and initially did not see anything left in Panettiere's memory.
"It was just upsetting to see that nothing was left for her because I don’t care how she died; she was still a human being, still a woman and a mother," she added.
Martian said she does not often see situations like this happen in the Upstate.
Hayden Panettiere's death also comes months after the release of her 2026 memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning." In the memoir, Panettiere discussed her experiences with child stardom, addiction, recovery, postpartum depression, trauma, domestic abuse, loss and the pressures of Hollywood.
She had previously spoken publicly about how addiction, postpartum depression, anxiety and the pressures of fame affected her life and contributed to a period away from acting.
Angelique Denius, who was visiting Greenville with her family, said she had just finished listening to Panettiere's memoir when she heard about her death. Denius said her children are involved in acting, making Panettiere's story particularly meaningful to her.
"My kids are in acting. I knew that she had come up in acting, was a big fan of hers from "Nashville," and it was just so sudden, so we thought we would come and see where she spent her final days," she said.
Denius said Panettiere's own account of her experiences gave her a different perspective on the challenges that can come with growing up in the entertainment industry.
"Especially as a mom, I'm just really thoughtful of, 'What does that mean to be brought up in the entertainment industry? What is that like in reality?' And she was very real about it," she added.
For Denius, Panettiere's death serves as a reminder that celebrities face many of the same challenges as anyone else.
"Celebrities, they're different, but they're also people just like us, and they have challenges, health challenges, mental health challenges and issues just like us, and you just never know," Denius said.
#news #haydenpanettiere #celebrity
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WLOS ABC 13 News serves the Asheville, NC area and the rest of western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina. We keep our audience informed through local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of community events, sports and entertainment programming since 1954.
This video and all Sinclair Broadcast Group content archives of local news and sports coverage are available for your use. For more information contact us at contentsales@sbgtv.com
Actress Hayden Panettiere died at the age of 36 after first responders found her in cardiac arrest at an apartment in Greenville on Sunday, Aug. 16, according to the coroner's office.
Officers responded to a 911 call around 1:50 p.m. Sunday, regarding a reported cardiac arrest at an apartment at 701 Easley Bridge Road. When first responders arrived, they found Panettiere in cardiac arrest and began advanced cardiac life support measures. Despite resuscitation efforts, she was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. The coroner's office says Panettiere had been temporarily staying at the residence.
Panettiere began working in entertainment as an infant and became widely known for her roles as Claire Bennet in "Heroes" and Juliette Barnes in "Nashville." Some of her other credits include "Ice Princess," "Racing Stripes" and "Scream 4."
Panettiere was also a mother to an 11-year-old daughter, Kaya. Her death has prompted fans to visit the Judson Mill District, where a small memorial has begun to take shape. Mychaela Martian, who lives about 20 minutes away in Travelers Rest, said Panettiere's death hit especially close to home.
"I lost my uncle eight years ago from an overdose. When I heard that’s how she passed away, and also being a millennial watching Hayden growing up in all the movies and TV shows, it kind of hit very close to home," Martian said.
Martian said she and her daughter drove by the apartment earlier Sunday and initially did not see anything left in Panettiere's memory.
"It was just upsetting to see that nothing was left for her because I don’t care how she died; she was still a human being, still a woman and a mother," she added.
Martian said she does not often see situations like this happen in the Upstate.
Hayden Panettiere's death also comes months after the release of her 2026 memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning." In the memoir, Panettiere discussed her experiences with child stardom, addiction, recovery, postpartum depression, trauma, domestic abuse, loss and the pressures of Hollywood.
She had previously spoken publicly about how addiction, postpartum depression, anxiety and the pressures of fame affected her life and contributed to a period away from acting.
Angelique Denius, who was visiting Greenville with her family, said she had just finished listening to Panettiere's memoir when she heard about her death. Denius said her children are involved in acting, making Panettiere's story particularly meaningful to her.
"My kids are in acting. I knew that she had come up in acting, was a big fan of hers from "Nashville," and it was just so sudden, so we thought we would come and see where she spent her final days," she said.
Denius said Panettiere's own account of her experiences gave her a different perspective on the challenges that can come with growing up in the entertainment industry.
"Especially as a mom, I'm just really thoughtful of, 'What does that mean to be brought up in the entertainment industry? What is that like in reality?' And she was very real about it," she added.
For Denius, Panettiere's death serves as a reminder that celebrities face many of the same challenges as anyone else.
"Celebrities, they're different, but they're also people just like us, and they have challenges, health challenges, mental health challenges and issues just like us, and you just never know," Denius said.
#news #haydenpanettiere #celebrity
_______________
Follow WLOS on social media:
WLOS ABC 13 News on Facebook: facebook.com/News13
WLOS ABC 13 News on X: https://x.com/WLOS_13
WLOS ABC 13 News on Instagram: instagram.com/wlos_13
Subscribe to WLOS on YouTube: youtube.com/user/ABC13Channel/?sub_confirmation=1
For all of the day’s top local and national news, visit wlos.com
Stream our newscasts LIVE: wlos.com/watch
Have a news tip? Send it directly to us:
Email us: news@wlos.com
Call the Newsroom: 828.684.1340
--
WLOS ABC 13 News serves the Asheville, NC area and the rest of western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina. We keep our audience informed through local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of community events, sports and entertainment programming since 1954.
This video and all Sinclair Broadcast Group content archives of local news and sports coverage are available for your use. For more information contact us at contentsales@sbgtv.com
