Hayden Panettiere was struggling with “pain” before her death, according to her mother Lesley Vogel.
The Heroes star – who died on August 16 aged just 36 – was estranged from Vogel, but they are said to have spent some time together in Los Angeles last year. Vogel has claimed that her daughter was battling a mysterious condition that left her in agony.
Vogel told The New York Times: “She was in pain. She was afraid. She couldn’t physically function properly.” She added that Panettiere had “pins and needles” in her lower extremities, which made it difficult for her to walk, and she had gone to a number of doctors and tried massage and acupuncture treatments in a bid to ease her suffering. She also claimed that the actress wondered whether the mysterious condition was linked to injuries she suffered while working in Hollywood as a child.
Fitness expert Marnie Alton – who started working with Panettiere in 2024 – told the publication that the actress was working hard to build up her strength.
“She was really smart. She kept fighting for her body because she felt like ‘If I can get my strength back, I can get myself back’,” Alton said.
The Nashville actress – who was mother to 11-year-old daughter Kaya with former partner Wladimir Klitschko – passed away at an apartment in South Carolina. Her cause of death has yet to be confirmed, and an investigation remains ongoing.
A statement from the Greenville County Coroner’s Office read: “At autopsy, no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.
“The cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies. This investigation remains active and ongoing. No further details are available for release at this time.”
The statement confirmed that first responders and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel arrived on scene and located a female in cardiac arrest.
“EMS personnel initiated advanced cardiac life-support measures; however, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and the individual was pronounced deceased at 2:32 p.m,” the statement read.
TMZ obtained dispatch audio of the call to emergency services, which appears to pick up officials discussing an “overdose”. The short recording included one officer saying: “Responding. Overdose. CPR is in progress.” After receiving the emergency call, paramedics rushed to the apartment and tried to resuscitate Hayden using “advanced cardiac life support”. But after an hour, Panettiere was pronounced dead.
