Hayden Panettiere’s former onscreen mother recalled seeing the actress battle with “inner demons” before her sudden death.
“This hits deep. I’ve had to take the day to let the idea that Hayden is not with us, wash over me,” Sylvia Jefferies, who played Panettiere’s mom on Nashville, wrote via Instagram on Monday, August 17.
Jefferies, 57, recalled Panettiere facing ups and downs when they worked together on the musical drama. (Nashville aired from 2012 to 2018.)
“I shoot straight from the hip. At times, Hayden was not easy to be around. I remember calling her a downright tornado. But she was our tornado,” she continued. “The sun that appears, the light mist that begins, the rain that gets heavier, the swirling of everything around her, and then the gentle tapering rain returns, along with the calm and sun and light in her eyes, and the giggle in her voice.”
Panettiere “had an incredibly bright future ahead of her,” but according to Jefferies, her “inner demons were at times too much to bear.”
“I pause as I reflect on her, looking at photos, remembering scenes, listening to voicemails, and remembering the first time she called me ‘Mama’ while she shared stories of her youth,” she wrote. “We seemed far apart, but we were very close in our hearts.”
Jefferies and Panettiere “reconnected” following the release of her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, earlier this year. The duo made plans to see each other but didn’t cross paths before news broke of Panettiere’s death at age 36.
“On August 16, 2026, at approximately 1:51 PM, a 911 call was received regarding a reported cardiac arrest,” read a statement from the Greenville County Coroner’s Office on Monday, August 17. “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.”
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office and the Greenville City Police Department are conducting “a parallel investigation” into Panettiere’s death.
“The decedent has been identified as Hayden Leslie Panettiere, 36, of California. Panettiere was found unresponsive inside the residence, where she had been temporarily staying,” the press release continued.
Panettiere’s autopsy showed “no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.” The cause and manner of her death “remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies.”
“This investigation remains active and ongoing,” the statement concluded. “No further details are available for release at this time.”
Elsewhere in her tribute, Jefferies reflected on Panettiere’s legacy. (The actress is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with Wladimir Klitschko.)
“I was so proud of her for sharing the real Hayden, something that had to be excruciatingly painful for such a gentle soul,” Jefferies wrote. “Our hearts are shattered, knowing that you are not just a phone call or text away, but we can rest easy knowing that you’re at peace, with your brother, dancing in that water with the dolphins for whom you cared so dearly. I love you, sweet girl. Always, in all ways. Love, Mama.”
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