Hayden Panettiere Once Recalled Her Doctors Warning That She Would Not Live to See 35 — Weeks Before Her Death
In one of her last interviews before her unexpected death on August 16, Hayden Panettiere shared how she had come dangerously close to a significant health scare.
On the ‘Tamron Hall Show,’ she reflected on her struggles with addiction, physical symptoms, and personal battles that ultimately led her to face her health issues.
During the interview on May 21, Panettiere spoke about postpartum depression, domestic violence, and the challenges of being a child star.
She was joined by her close friend and publicist, Kasey Kitchen, whom she trusted to provide her with brutally honest feedback.
Early Struggles with Fame and Identity
Panettiere explained to Hall that her early years in the spotlight greatly influenced her self-perception. She experienced an identity crisis at the age of 12, recognizing that such pressures could have lasting effects.
The discussion progressed to her experience with postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, on December 9, 2014, whom she shares with former heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko.
Panettiere expressed her difficulties during a time when postpartum depression was not openly discussed, leaving her feeling isolated in her struggles.
Following a stint in rehab, she began self-medicating due to her inability to find a therapist who could relate to her experiences.
Hall and Kitchen also touched on the domestic violence Panettiere faced in a high-profile relationship, with Kitchen sharing how painful it was to witness her friend endure such hardship while some online minimized the situation.
A Stark Health Warning
Hall highlighted that Panettiere returned to rehab in 2020 for an eight-month duration, a choice made after she noticed significant deterioration in her health.
Panettiere recalled, ‘When I got to the point of looking in the mirror and seeing my eyes had turned yellow,’ stating that she no longer recognized her own body.
After undergoing blood tests, she received a warning from her doctor that if she continued her current lifestyle, she could require a liver transplant.
‘I mean, I was in the midst of so much,’ she told Hall.
Hall emphasized the severity of the warning: ‘So, you’re 30 years old, and the doctor’s telling you, ‘You’re 30 years old, Hayden. You will not live to see 35.’
‘Yes, ‘If you do not stop immediately.’ I thought, ‘I can’t do that for me, but if I can’t do it for myself, I will do it for my child,’ Panettiere responded.
Lingering Pain from Past Injuries
TMZ reported that Panettiere had been experiencing back pain prior to her passing, with a source indicating she had voiced her concerns over the past year. The cause of the discomfort was not disclosed.
In her 2026 memoir, ‘This Is Me: A Reckoning,’ Panettiere had earlier mentioned another source of persistent pain.
The Daily Beast noted her account of an incident while filming the 2005 movie ‘Racing Stripes’ at age 14, where she was thrown from a zebra.
The accident resulted in two damaged vertebrae in her neck, along with a concussion and severe whiplash. She wrote, ‘Over 20 years later, these injuries still bother me.’
Ongoing investigations into Panettiere’s untimely death are shedding light, although details remain incomplete about the circumstances surrounding her being found unresponsive in South Carolina.
An autopsy has been finalized, neighbors recalled the ‘commotion’ they noticed that day, and authorities revealed a significant finding amidst the ongoing inquiries.
Details from the Emergency Response
According to reports, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office stated that a 911 call was received on August 16 around 1:51 p.m. concerning a cardiac arrest.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene to find a woman in cardiac arrest. Despite initiating advanced life support, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.
The Coroner’s Office confirmed, ‘The decedent has been identified as Hayden [Lesley] Panettiere, 36, of California. Panettiere was found unresponsive inside the residence where she had been temporarily staying.’
This detail is significant given what residents of the complex have since reported about her presence there.
Witness Accounts of the Incident
A neighbor named Micah Lee recounted to WYFF4 that he noticed unusual activity in the building on that Sunday. ‘It was yesterday afternoon, and just a bunch of commotion in the hallway,’ Lee shared. ‘The halls are pretty hollow, so noise echoes throughout.’
He added, ‘And I had just heard about someone collapsing. Then afterwards, there was talk about cardiac arrest. I can’t confirm any of that. That’s just what I’ve heard.’
Lee’s observations align with the Coroner’s Office confirmation that the initial 911 call involved a report of cardiac arrest, though the official ruling on Panettiere’s death has yet to be announced.
Authorities have also stated that their initial inquiry found no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. Another resident of Judson Mill Lofts expressed their shock upon discovering who had passed away in the complex.
The neighbor remarked, ‘I was shocked,’ explaining that they had never seen Panettiere there until the news of her death broke. They were uncertain how long she had been staying at the location or if she had left the apartment during her time there.
According to the neighbor, management later reassured residents that the incident did not appear to be criminal, alleviating fears for their safety. ‘It’s still kind of jarring to hear that someone of her stature was here and then tragically happened to her,’ they added.
The resident recounted seeing police at the property for hours, from around noon until 8 p.m. that Sunday. The sight of the coroner’s vehicle made it clear that someone had died, but they only learned the next morning that it was Panettiere.
Additionally, the neighbor remembered seeing two men ‘sitting outside the apartment with cops’ during the response. ‘They looked like they were in shock, not speaking, and had their heads down,’ the neighbor recalled.
The resident also suspected that the apartment was listed as a rental, a detail which Page Six confirmed as being an Airbnb.
Ongoing Investigation and Findings
As investigators began to unravel the events, another aspect from the scene gained attention. Page Six reported that the 911 dispatch audio referred to the situation as an apparent ‘overdose,’ and Narcan was found on a mattress at the location.
Narcan is typically used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, but it remains uncertain whether it was administered to Panettiere.
Importantly, neither the dispatch’s description nor the discovery of Narcan determines Panettiere’s official cause of death. Authorities have indicated that the official ruling is still pending further investigations and additional tests.
Panettiere had openly discussed her past struggles with opioid and alcohol addiction. In a 2022 interview, she revealed that at 15, she was given what she referred to as ‘happy pills’ to help her during red-carpet events.
‘They were meant to make me peppy during interviews,’ she recounted. ‘I had no idea that this wasn’t appropriate or what door it would open for me regarding my addiction.’ She later articulated the difficulties she faced with alcohol, substance abuse, depression, and anxiety.
Panettiere also candidly addressed the painful custody decisions regarding her daughter, Kaya, with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. In a May 2026 appearance on the ‘On Purpose’ podcast, she rebutted the notion that she had casually relinquished her daughter.
‘The idea that anyone would think I would just give away my child and be okay with it is heartbreaking,’ she shared. ‘It couldn’t be further from the truth. It turned into a horrific cycle of battling depression, anxiety, alcoholism, and substance abuse while trying to find my way back.’
More recently, she had been promoting her memoir, ‘This Is Me: A Reckoning.’ At what turned out to be her last public event on May 26 at the Harmony Gold Theater in Los Angeles, a source noted that her speech seemed ‘slow and slurred at times.’
A Family Tragedy Reshaping Her Life
Panettiere had also been carrying the weight of a profound personal loss. Her younger brother, Jansen, passed away in February 2023 at just 28 due to an undiagnosed heart condition. In a 2024 interview with People, she shared the immense impact his death had on her.
‘He was my only sibling, and I felt it was my duty to protect him,’ Panettiere expressed. ‘When I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul.’ She noted that experiencing such a devastating event shifted her perspective on every day issues.
Considering her deeply personal history, inquiries into Panettiere’s final moments have drawn significant attention, but investigators are still withholding any conclusive details about her death.
The autopsy findings have become critical to the investigation. Although it has been completed, officials have yet to determine a cause or manner of death. The Coroner’s Office stated, ‘This investigation remains active and ongoing. No further details are available for release at this time.’
However, the autopsy did clarify one key detail regarding Panettiere’s condition at the time of her death:
‘An autopsy was completed today. No signs of trauma were found that would have contributed to death.’
This still leaves the main mystery unresolved. Additional investigations and testing will be necessary before authorities can officially ascertain the cause of the star’s unexpected death.
News of Panettiere’s passing was shared by her father, Skip, who expressed profound grief at the loss of his daughter.
‘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. We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss,’ he added.
