Hayden Panettiere’s Tragic Passing | Raleigh News

Actress Hayden Panettiere, 36, was found unresponsive at a South Carolina home on August 16, 2026, and later died of unknown causes—no trauma found, no foul play suspected. Her ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother were present; Brian provided her medication, while Zach appeared emotional during the emergency response. Dispatch audio hinted at overdose and cardiac arrest, but first responders couldn’t revive her. Her body was released to family-selected mortuary by August 18. Both parents mourned her deeply, with her father calling her “an incredible light” and her mother lamenting she “lost her way.” Klitschko, her ex-husband, pledged to honor her memory for their daughter Kaya. Panettiere had previously stepped back from acting in 2018 to battle postpartum depression and addiction, entering rehab multiple times—including an eight-month stay in 2020—and recently published a memoir detailing her journey.

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