Police were called to Hayden Panettiere's home on Sunday, August 16, after responding to a report of an unresponsive woman at Judson Mill Lofts on Easley Bridge Road, South Carolina, at 1:51 p.m. The 911 call was reportedly made by an unidentified acquaintance. Police confirmed the 36-year-old mum-of-one died at the scene, telling television station WYFF4 that the preliminary investigation "has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances."
A Quick Trip to the South
The call came just a day after she jetted out of Los Angeles on Saturday, August 15, with her boyfriend Brian Hickerson. According to TMZ, the couple flew to the South. A flight from LA to South Carolina takes about 4 hours and 48 minutes to 5 hours and 3 minutes. If the flight has a layover, the travel time can increase to 6 to 8 hours or more, depending on the connection. This indicates the couple were only in the area for a few hours when the tragedy was reported.
Health Struggles in Her Final Days
TMZ also reported that Panettiere had been complaining of back pain in her final days. The Heroes actress had struggled with a health issue in the past year and was recently captured on video walking with slight difficulty. She had reportedly been complaining about back pain for the past year. In May this year, she told Women's Health: "I quite literally woke up and felt nothing but pins and needles from my waist down. I wasn't able to bend my toes or lift my foot at all. No one was able to give me a solid answer." It is unknown if this issue is related to her death.
Family Statement and Legacy
Hayden's father, Skip Panettiere, released a statement via ABC News confirming her death and requesting privacy as the family grapples with their loss. "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her - and to the millions who watched her onscreen," he shared.
Her death comes mere months after her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, hit bookstores on May 19. In the tome, she shed light on some of her experiences navigating Hollywood as a teenage star. She recounted an incident in which an Oscar-winning actor allegedly exposed himself to her at a party, as well as a disturbing episode aboard a yacht where a trusted, unnamed friend placed her in bed next to a 'very famous' naked man. Besides Heroes and Nashville, Panettiere's acting portfolio includes films such as I Love You, Beth Cooper, as well as the TV film Amanda Knox.
