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Hayden Panettiere's autopsy details emerge as police investigate tragic death

Heroes actress Hayden Panettiere died on Sunday (August 16) at the age of just 36, and now a post-mortem examination has been completed by the coroner's office

[File photo dated 06/06/13 of Hayden Panettiere during the filming of this week's Graham Norton show at the London Studios, in London. US actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville, has died aged 36. Issue date: Monday August 17, 2026.]

Hayden Panettiere had "no signs of trauma", according to the Greenville County coroner's office(Image: 2026 PA Media, All Rights Reserved)

Hayden Panettiere's death has "no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances", the police have said. The Heroes and Nashville actress died on Sunday aged 36.

She was found in her home by police in Greenville, South Carolina, following a call made by an acquaintance reporting that the actress was "unresponsive" and in "cardiac arrest". A post-mortem examination has now been completed by the Greenville County coroner's office which found that "no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death".

Authorities are still investigating the cause of death. A statement from Greenville police department said: "On August 16, 2026, at approximately 1.51pm, officers from the Greenville police department, accompanied by EMS personnel, responded to a report of an unresponsive female at Judson Mill Lofts, located at 701 Easley Bridge Road.

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The actress shared daughter Kayla with ex Wladimir Klitschko but she gave him full custody

"Upon arrival, medical assistance was administered; however, the individual, later identified as Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

"The case is under investigation by the Greenville police department in conjunction with the Greenville county coroner's office. The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. An acquaintance of Ms Panettiere placed the 911 call."

Her family confirmed her death and said they would remember her as an "incredible light" who brought "immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her". A statement from Panettiere's father Skip said: "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden.

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The actress was an "incredible light and force of nature", her father said(Image: Getty)

"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." Her father also asked that her family be given privacy as they "take time to process this unimaginable loss".

The 36-year-old began acting as a child, appearing in adverts and soaps before gaining wider recognition as the voice of Dot in Pixar's 1998 film A Bug's Life and her role in the 2000 sports drama Remember The Titans alongside Denzel Washington.

Panettiere became a global star for playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes before going on to star as country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on the hit TV series Nashville. Her performances in Nashville earned her two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress while her singing on the show produced 11 entries on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

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Hayden died on Sunday (August 16)(Image: @haydenpanettiere/Instagram)

The actress opened up about the struggles she faced being in the industry and revealed that she had battled addiction throughout her 20s. In a memoir published earlier this year, Panettiere opened up about her mental health issues, the loss of her younger brother, Jansen, and her decision to give full custody of her daughter Kaya to her former partner, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, in 2018.

"The idea that anyone would think that I would just give away my child and be okay with it is heartbreaking and couldn't be further from the truth," she told podcaster Jay Shetty after the release of her memoir in May.

Panettiere said her daughter had lived with her father full-time from a young age amid the actress's struggles with addiction and mental health. She said: "I was struggling with mental health and anxiety, and the postpartum and having to act my way through it and just feeling like I completely lost myself."

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