Hayden Panettiere seemed ‘really lonely’ in months before death, co-star says

Hayden Panettiere seemed ‘really lonely’ and was ‘struggling’ in the months leading up to her sudden death, her co-star Justin Chatwin has claimed. Chatwin, 43, starred in the 2026 horror film *Sleepwalker* alongside Panettiere, which was her final project before her passing at age 36. The psychological thriller follows a woman, played by Panettiere, struggling with the death of her daughter after a car accident. Chatwin said they hit it off well on set but the subject matter—domestic abuse—was emotionally intense. Panettiere opened up about personal struggles, including loneliness. She shared her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko, with ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. In 2018, she granted full custody to Klitschko after battling addiction and postpartum depression. Chatwin noted she seemed different this time, mentioning Hollywood’s toxic environment. Panettiere was found unresponsive in her apartment; paramedics attempted CPR but she was pronounced dead at 2:32 PM. Narcan was found in the apartment, though its use in reviving her remains unclear. Police ruled the death non-suspicious, and an autopsy is pending. Her father announced her passing, calling her an ‘incredible light’ and a ‘force of nature.’ Panettiere began her career as a child star at age four, starring in *One Life to Live* and later in *Heroes*, *Nashville*, and films like *Bring It On* and *Scream 4*.