Hayden Panettiere found in cardiac arrest, possible overdose, before death

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Actress Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in “Heroes” and “Nashville,” was found in cardiac arrest before her death Sunday, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.

Police and emergency medical personnel responded to an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, after receiving a report of an unresponsive woman.

According to dispatch audio obtained by PEOPLE, officials could be heard discussing an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest” around the time of Panettiere’s death. Authorities have not confirmed an overdose or announced a cause of death.

A source told PEOPLE that Narcan, a medication used to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose, was found at the scene.

Hayden Panettiere attending “The 6th Annual Hollywood Style Awards” Beverly Hills, CA on Oct. 10, 2009 – Photo by Glenn Francis of www.PacificProDigital.com

“EMS personnel initiated advanced cardiac life support measures; however, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and the individual was pronounced deceased at 2:32 PM,” the coroner’s office said.

An autopsy conducted Monday found no signs of trauma that contributed to Panettiere’s death, according to the coroner’s office.

Panettiere, who would have turned 37 on Friday, had been open about her struggles with addiction and other personal challenges. In her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” released in May, she wrote about child stardom, addiction and postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter, Kaya, in 2014.

Panettiere said in the memoir that she became addicted to Klonopin and alcohol after her daughter’s birth.

Her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at age 28 from an enlarged heart.

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