Hayden Panettiere, the actor known for Heroes and Nashville, has died at age 36, according to reports published Monday. The Associated Press said she was found unresponsive at a home in Greenville, South Carolina, and that emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene.
Authorities have not announced a cause of death. The AP reported that an autopsy found no trauma and no evidence of foul play, while the investigation remains open. That means early online claims about what happened should not be treated as confirmed information.
Panettiere became widely known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on Heroes and later played country singer Juliette Barnes on Nashville. She also appeared in the Scream film series and provided the voice of Kairi in the Kingdom Hearts video-game franchise.
The Daily Beast separately reported her death and noted that the actor had been working in film and television since childhood. Panettiere had spoken publicly in earlier years about personal health struggles, but those past disclosures do not establish the cause of her death.
The actor’s family and representatives have asked for privacy. Tributes from fellow performers were being reported as fans revisited her best-known roles. Until investigators release more information, the confirmed details remain her death, the location reported by authorities and the fact that the cause is still under investigation.
Sources: Associated Press — https://apnews.com/article/1d660d3989916c3fa00421d05e4d78e7; The Daily Beast — https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/nashville-star-hayden-panettiere-dies-at-36/
