Hayden Panettiere, From 'Scream' and 'Until Dawn', Dies at 36

UPDATE: New details have emerged about Hayden Panettiere's death since this story was first published. Read below!

Actress Hayden Panettiere, star of the Scream franchise and the series Heroes, has died at 36. The news was confirmed by her representative to ABC News.

"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", said Skip Panettiere, her father, in a statement to ABC News on Sunday.

The actress was found unconscious at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday (16).

According to the Greenville Police Department, officers and paramedics were dispatched at around 1:51 p.m. to respond to the incident. First responders attempted to revive Panettiere using advanced life support procedures, including CPR, medications, breathing tubes, and cardiac monitoring, but she did not respond to the efforts.

The actress was pronounced dead at the scene. According to police, an acquaintance of Panettiere was the one who called emergency services. The death is being investigated jointly by the Greenville Police Department and the county medical examiner's office.

The cause of death has not yet been confirmed. According to information obtained by People, the emergency dispatch audio mentions a possible overdose and cardiac arrest, but the official cause is only expected to be determined after the autopsy.

Police said the preliminary investigation found no signs of a crime or suspicious circumstances.

Panettiere started out as a child actress and built a long career across television and film. She became known for playing Claire Bennet on Heroes and Juliette Barnes on Nashville. She also appeared in films such as Remember the Titans, Raising Helen, and the slasher franchise Scream, joining the cast of the fourth and sixth installments. In the gaming world, she was popular for voicing Kairi in Kingdom Hearts and giving life to Samantha Giddings in Until Dawn. 

Over the years, Panettiere spoke openly about her struggle with alcohol and drugs. In 2020, she spent time in a rehabilitation clinic and achieved sobriety. In 2023, her younger brother, Jansen, died unexpectedly at 28 due to a heart condition. 

She published her first book, This Is Me: A Reckoning, in May of this year.