Hayden Panettiere’s Former Boyfriend Was With Her When She Died, Source Says

Actress Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36. She was found unresponsive at a home in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday, Aug. 16, according to local authorities.

The Greenville Police Department said officers were called to the residence at about 1:50 p.m. An acquaintance of Panettiere placed the 911 call, police said.

First responders and emergency medical personnel performed advanced life-support measures, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m., according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.

A law enforcement source told PEOPLE that Panettiere’s former on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, was with her when she died. It is not known whether he made the emergency call.

Police said their preliminary investigation has found no evidence of foul play or suspicious circumstances. Dispatch audio obtained by PEOPLE reportedly included references to a possible overdose and cardiac arrest, but authorities have not announced an official cause of death.

An autopsy was completed Monday, according to the Coroner’s Office. Toxicology and other examination results may be needed before an official cause and manner of death are determined.

Panettiere and Hickerson were first linked in 2018. Their relationship became troubled, and Hickerson was arrested multiple times, including in domestic violence cases in 2019 and 2020.

After Hickerson’s 2020 arrest, Panettiere publicly spoke about her experience in an effort to encourage others facing abusive relationships to seek help. In 2021, Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a partner connected to the 2020 case. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, four years of formal probation, domestic violence classes, restitution and a five-year protective order. He ultimately served 13 days in jail.

Panettiere later said that she had reconnected with Hickerson as friends after he completed treatment and served his sentence. In a 2022 interview with PEOPLE, she said she was trying to approach the situation with forgiveness while making clear that his past behavior was not acceptable.

Panettiere had also been open about her own struggles with addiction. She described a difficult period in her life when she was dealing with alcohol and opioid addiction, saying she had lost confidence in herself and found the idea of having no responsibilities appealing.

Her family confirmed her death through a statement released by her representative.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” her father, Alan Panettiere, said. “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.”

Panettiere was known for roles in television series including Heroes and Nashville, as well as appearances in films and other television productions. Her career began when she was a child and continued for decades.

Her former fiancé, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko, also paid tribute to her. The pair shared an 11-year-old daughter, Kaya Evdokia Klitschko.

“Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya,” Klitschko wrote on Instagram. “She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry.”

He added that he would speak about Panettiere with respect to their daughter and make sure Kaya remembers her mother and the person she was.

Authorities have not yet released an official cause of death. The investigation remains ongoing.