Hayden Panettiere, the actress who became a household name through Heroes and Nashville, has died at the age of 36, leaving fans and former co-stars shocked by her sudden passing.

Panettiere was found unresponsive at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, on August 16. Emergency responders arrived after a 911 call at about 1:51 p.m. and attempted to revive her. She was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.

A preliminary autopsy completed the following day found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death. However, the coroner has not yet determined the official cause or manner of death, with additional testing still underway. Authorities have also said there is currently no indication of foul play.

The circumstances surrounding the emergency call have drawn additional attention. Dispatch information reportedly referenced a possible overdose and cardiac arrest, while Narcan was found at the scene. Those details have not established the official cause of death, which remains pending further investigation.

Panettiere’s death came only months after she returned to the public spotlight while promoting her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning. Published in May, the book addressed difficult periods of her life, including addiction, postpartum depression and the pressures she experienced growing up in Hollywood.

Her career began when she was a child, with early roles in commercials and television before she became internationally recognized as Claire Bennet in Heroes. She later starred as Juliette Barnes on Nashville, earning two Golden Globe nominations for the role. She also appeared in films including Remember the Titans and the Scream franchise.

Just weeks before her death, Panettiere appeared to be embracing a new chapter. Her final Instagram post, shared on July 27, showed her smiling beside photographer Randall Slavin with the caption, “Good times and good friends.” She had also celebrated the success of her memoir after it reached No. 4 on the New York Times bestseller list.

Her final film, Sleepwalker, was released earlier this year. In the psychological thriller, Panettiere portrayed a mother struggling with devastating visions after losing her daughter in a car accident. The actress previously described the emotionally demanding production as challenging but rewarding.

Her sudden death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from Hollywood. Former Nashville co-star Connie Britton, as well as Viola Davis, Selma Blair, Derek Hough and others, shared emotional messages remembering Panettiere’s talent, warmth and resilience.

Panettiere is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with former fiancé and former world heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.

For now, many questions surrounding Panettiere’s death remain unanswered. The preliminary autopsy has ruled out traumatic injury as a contributing factor, but the official cause and manner of death have yet to be established.

As authorities await additional test results, fans are remembering an actress who spent most of her life in the public eye — from child star to television icon — and whose final months appeared to mark a deeply personal return to her own story.