Months before her death, Hayden Panettiere was seen using crutches at Los Angeles International Airport, moving carefully and leaning heavily on the mobility aids.
The actress told a photographer she was dealing with pinched nerves in her lower back and assured him she was recovering before getting into her SUV.
This sighting aligns with reports from sources who said she had been complaining of back pain regularly over the past year.
Shortly after that March encounter, Panettiere began a publicity tour for her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning."
She passed away on Sunday, August 17, 2026, at the age of 36.
A friend called 911 from a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, just before 2 PM, reporting the actress was unresponsive and in cardiac arrest.
Dispatch audio obtained by TMZ reveals responders were sent to perform CPR on someone who had overdosed.
Sources say medics attempted to resuscitate Panettiere using advanced cardiac life support, but she was pronounced dead at 2:32 PM.
The Greenville County Coroner is expected to perform an autopsy on Monday to determine the cause and manner of death.