No signs of ‘foul play’ in Hayden Panettiere’s death, say Greenville Police

Police have ruled out any signs of 'foul' play in the death of actress Hayden Panettiere, star of the US TV shows Heroes and Nashville, in the preliminary investigation. The police added that the probe is still underway and that they are not releasing any further details at this point.

“The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances,” a spokesperson for the Greenville Police Department said in a statement to People. “The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office,” they continued.

Panettiere, 36, was found dead at an apartment complex in South Carolina on Sunday, August 16. Panettiere's father, Skip, announced the actor's death in a statement to ABC News.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. 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,” his statement said.

The cause of the death is yet to be ascertained. The Greenville County Coroner's Office was to perform an autopsy.

Panettiere, who would have turned 37 on Friday, began her career as a child actor in commercials and soap operas.

‘Heroes’ role that made Panettiere a star

Panettiere rose to prominence in 2006 after being cast as a cheerleader with superpowers in the hit series Heroes. The show became closely associated with the phrase “Save the cheerleader, save the world.”

Reflecting on the show's popularity in a 2008 interview with The Associated Press (AP), Panettiere had said, “I think ‘Heroes’ is really hot because it’s just a really great combination of everything that people love — they love reality, they love sci-fi and things like X-Men where they get to dream of something bigger.”

She added that the series was built around relatable human stories and appealed to viewers across different age groups.

Panettiere's performance earned her three Teen Choice Awards. She was also nominated for a Grammy for a children's spoken-word album recorded several years after the animated film A Bug’s Life was released.

‘Nashville’ role and country music success

Panettiere later took on another major television role in Nashville, playing a bold young country singer opposite Connie Britton.

The ABC series ran for four seasons before being cancelled and later revived by CMT. Panettiere performed her own songs for the show, several of which became successful on the country music charts.

Her work on the series also earned her two Golden Globe nominations for supporting actress. During the show's run, 11 songs featuring Panettiere appeared on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, including two tracks recorded with Britton.

Panettiere spoke openly about personal struggles

The actor had previously spoken publicly about her battles with alcohol addiction and depression. She also discussed the challenges she faced following the birth of her daughter with Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko in 2014.