Actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in “Nashville” and “Heroes,” appeared to suffer cardiac arrest after a suspected overdose, according to dispatch audio.
Emergency crews in Greenville, South Carolina, received a call for help around 2 p.m. Sunday. When they arrived, first responders reportedly performed lifesaving measures, but Panettiere was pronounced dead at the scene. She was 36.
Foul play is not suspected. The person who called for help has only been described as an acquaintance of Panettiere. The Greenville County Coroner's Office is performing an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Hayden Panettiere's Dad Owes Her $100K After Divorcing Her Mom
In a statement provided to ABC News, her father called her death "tragic."
"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, Skip Panettiere, said in the statement.
Panettiere had more than 70 acting credits, including roles in “Bring It On: All or Nothing” and “Scream 4.”
In 2022, she opened up about her struggles with opioid and alcohol addiction, saying she had been in a "cycle of self-destruction" after experiencing severe postpartum depression.
Panettiere had one daughter with former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, to whom she was previously engaged.
