Hayden Panettiere: initial autopsy finds no signs of trauma after actress found in cardiac arrest

Actress Hayden Panettiere dies at age 36 Hayden Panettiere's preliminary autopsy showed no evidence of trauma related to the cause of her death, according to information confirmed by Fox News Digital. The American actress known for her roles in TV series such as "Nashville" and "Heroes" died at the age of 36 this Sunday (17). “During the autopsy, no signs of trauma were found that could have contributed to the death,” the Greenville County Medical Examiner’s office said in a statement. “The cause and how death occurred remain undefined, pending further investigations and the completion of additional tests.” According to police, Hayden Panettiere was found in cardiac arrest by emergency teams. Despite resuscitation attempts made by rescuers, the actress was declared dead at 2:32 pm. Panettiere was the mother of 11-year-old Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, the result of her relationship with former Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko. Remember the life and career of actress Hayden Panettiere, who died aged 36 Who is Hayden Panettiere A former child actress, Panettiere gained widespread recognition when she voiced Dot, the young ant princess in Pixar's 1998 animated hit, "A Bug's Life". His work on the film's co-reading album earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for Children. She rose to fame playing Claire Bennet, a high school cheerleader with superpowers, on the hit NBC series "Heroes," which premiered in 2006. She also appeared in the 2000 football drama "Remember the Titans," starring Denzel Washington. Hayden Panettiere died this Sunday (16), aged 36 REUTERS Panettiere received two Golden Globe nominations, in 2013 and 2014, in the category of Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series, Miniseries or Television Film for her role as Juliette Barnes in the musical drama "Nashville". She was also part of the horror franchise "Scream". Panettiere's most recent appearance was in the psychological thriller "Sleepwalker," released in the U.S. in January 2026, in which she played a grieving mother tormented by episodes of sleepwalking, according to IMDb. His brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023, at age 28, due to complications related to an enlarged heart and an aortic valve problem, according to a family statement released to the American press later that year. Actress Hayden Panettiere on the red carpet at the 71st Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok Addiction to drugs and alcohol In 2022, the actress had revealed in an interview with People magazine an addiction to drugs and alcohol that almost cost her her life. "I was on top of the world and I ruined everything," he said. Panettiere said she spent years battling addiction while also dealing with postpartum depression. The actress sought treatment for her depression, but found herself increasingly dependent on alcohol. "There was just this gray color in my life," he lamented. The actress says she didn't drink during her pregnancy, but says: "I never had the feeling of wanting to harm my daughter, but I didn't want to spend any time with her." Panettiere says she worked hard to be honest with herself to face hospitalization and trauma treatment last year. "I think I've hit rock bottom, but there's that trapdoor that opens." In the interview, the actress, who began her career at the age of 11, acting in soap operas and films such as "Duel of the Titans", also revealed that, when she was 15 years old, a member of her team started offering "happy pills" so that she could walk on red carpets. "It was supposed to keep me excited during the interviews. And I had no idea that that wasn't appropriate, or that it was the opening door to my addiction," he says. *With information from Reuters.