Poignant comments Hayden Panettiere made during final public appearance have resurfaced following her death
Hayden Panettiere made a poignant comment about how she hoped to ‘leave the world a better place’ in her final public appearance before her death.
Panettiere tragically passed away on Sunday (16 August) aged just 36, her representatives confirmed.
In the heartbreaking statement, Panettiere was remembered for being an ‘incredible light’ and ‘force of nature’.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” the statement began.
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“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.”
According to NBC News, Police in Greenville have announced that a 'acquaintance' of the actress placed a 911 call and emergency services raced to the scene but were unable to save her.
A statement from the Greenville Police Department said: "[Officers] accompanied by EMS personnel, responded to a report of an unresponsive female at around 1:50 p.m. Sunday.
"Upon arrival, medical assistance was administered; however, the individual, later identified as Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
"The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner's Office. The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. An acquaintance of Ms. Panettiere placed the 911 call."
Following her tragic death, comments she made during her last public appearance to promote her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, have resurfaced.
In the memoir Panettiere opened up about being 'groomed' as a child actor, as well as about her struggles with postpartum depression, addiction and recovery.
During a panel discussion at Hollywood’s Harmony Gold Theater, Panettiere talked about how she found sharing her own story ‘healing’, Page Six reports.
“So many people have come up to me within the industry and outside of the industry and shared their stories with me and said, ‘Because you’ve talked about your mental health, it gave me the courage to be honest about mine and get myself help, and you saved my life,’” she said.
“And I was like, ‘this is worth it’,” she continued. “I can hopefully leave the world a better place than I found it. The strength is in our vulnerability.”
Amid her battles with addiction and postpartum depression, Panettiere made the difficult decision to give up custody of her only daughter, Kaya, who she shares with her former partner and professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko, in 2018.
Speaking on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast just weeks ago, Panettiere said she was initially against the idea when her ex partner suggested it.
“That was incredibly difficult. The fact that my child wasn’t going to be with me all day every day was just ... you can’t put words to it,” she said.
However, she changed her mind after realising how stressful it was for the youngster to travel back and forth between the US and Ukraine and seeing what a ‘beautiful life’ she had out there.
Panettiere stayed in regular contact with her child, who is now 11, before her death.
The coroner has released a statement
On Monday (17 August) coroner Mike Ellis confirmed an autopsy had been completed, with 'no signs of trauma' discovered.
The cause of Panettiere's death remains pending further investigation.
According to the coroner, Panettiere was identified at the scene on Sunday and was 'found unresponsive inside the residence, where she had been temporarily staying'.
"At autopsy no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death,” Ellis said in a statement, per PEOPLE. “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 also added details from first responders, after a 911 call was answered at roughly 1:51pm local time in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday.
“First responders and Emergency Medical Services 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 PM," it said.
Claire Reid