Hayden Panettiere: Commotion Broke Out After ‘Heroes’ and ‘Nashville’ Star Was Found Dead After Drug Overdose at Her Apartment, Neighbor Says

A commotion broke out in the hallways of a South Carolina apartment complex after actress Hayden Panettiere was found dead in what was suspected to be an overdose, according to a shocked neighbor. Panettiere, 36, best known for her roles in the hit NBC series Heroes and Nashville, was found dead on Sunday afternoon at the Judson Mill Lofts in Greenville.

Micah Lee, who reportedly lives in the complex, said there was a “bunch of commotion in the hallway” after the actress “collapsed” inside one of the units. “The halls are pretty hollow, so noise echoes throughout. And I had just heard about someone collapsing,” a shocked Lee told WYFF.

Chaos Inside Apartment

“And then afterwards there was talk about cardiac arrest. I can’t confirm any of that. That’s just what I’ve heard,” Lee added. In audio from a 911 call made at 1:51 p.m. on Sunday, a female dispatcher described Panettiere as being in “cardiac arrest.”

Moments later, a male dispatcher could be heard saying that the actress had reportedly suffered a suspected overdose at the home.

Panettiere, who was due to turn 37 on Friday, was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:32 p.m., just over 40 minutes after the initial emergency call.

Police and the medical examiner are investigating her death. The “preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances,” authorities said.

Panettiere and her on-and-off boyfriend, real estate agent Brian Hickerson, were reportedly in South Carolina after flying there from Los Angeles one day before her death. Hickerson is originally from Greenville, according to public records. It remains unclear whether the couple had traveled there to visit his family.

Judson Mill Lofts is housed in a former textile mill that dates back to 1912 and was recently converted into apartments. The complex offers everything from studios to three-bedroom units, with monthly rents ranging from $1,295 to $3,485.

Everyone in Shock

Earlier, a representative for Panettiere confirmed her death, saying her family would remember her as an “incredible light” who brought “immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her.”

Her father, Skip, said in a statement, “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 also asked for privacy as the family takes time to “process this unimaginable loss.”

Panettiere had struggled with drug addiction since she was 15. She previously said she began taking “happy pills” because she believed they would make her appear more “peppy” during interviews.

Her addiction became more severe as she dealt with postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter, Kaya, in 2014.

In a 2022 interview, Panettiere said she had remained sober in recent years but acknowledged that staying sober was “an everyday battle.”

“It’s an everyday choice, and I’m checking in with myself all the time,” she told People at the time. “But I’m just so grateful to be part of this world again, and I will never take it for granted again.”

Panettiere also previously revealed that she nearly died while giving birth and later transferred full custody of Kaya to her former fiancé, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko.

Kaya, now 11, lives in Europe with her father.