The actress died from an apparent overdose in South Carolina at age 36 on Aug. 16
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NEED TO KNOW
- Hayden Panettiere was remembered by loved ones during a memorial service in Malibu, Calif., on Sept. 19
- Connie Britton, Ruby Rose, Charles Esten, Evan Ross, Paris Hilton and the late actress’ father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere, were in attendance, while her mother and boyfriend were not
- Hayden died from an apparent overdose in South Carolina at age 36 on Aug. 16
Hayden Panettiere’s loved ones gathered to celebrate her life this weekend.
One month after the actress died from an apparent overdose in South Carolina at age 36 on Aug. 16, famous friends including Connie Britton, Ruby Rose, Charles Esten, Evan Ross, Paris Hilton and more gathered in Malibu, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 19, for a memorial service, Page Six and TMZ reported.
According to TMZ, Hayden’s dad, Alan “Skip” Panettiere, attended the memorial service, but her mom, Lesley Vogel, was not invited, nor were her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach Hickerson.
Britton, 59, and Esten, 61, gave speeches, and Esten sang one of Hayden’s songs from the trio’s show, Nashville. The outlet added that doves were released outside the church before guests moved inside for the ceremony.
A representative for Hayden did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday, Sept. 20.
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Skip shared a statement announcing the news of his daughter’s death last month.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” he 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.”
Hayden was predeceased by her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, who died in 2023 at the age of 28 from aortic valve complications and an undiagnosed enlarged heart.
The Heroes alum was deeply affected by his death, telling PEOPLE in 2024, “He was my only sibling, and it was my job to protect him. When I lost him, I felt like I lost half of my soul.”
Hayden’s estranged mother addressed her death in an interview with NBC News on Tuesday, Aug. 18.
Vogel called her daughter an “amazingly talented person in so many departments” and said that “she’s with her brother and they’re at peace.”
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The Bring It On star was a mom to daughter Kaya, 11, with her ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. He shared a tribute to her on Aug. 18, writing that he was feeling “profound shock and grief.”
“Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya,” the Ukrainian boxer wrote in an Instagram post. “Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives. To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was.”
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The Greenville County Coroner’s Office confirmed on Aug. 17 that an autopsy had been completed for Hayden and “no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.” Coroner Mike Ellis confirmed in a press release that first responders found the actress in “cardiac arrest” at the South Carolina residence the day she died.
Hayden’s on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian was with her when she died, as was his brother, according to a police report obtained by PEOPLE. Sloan Ellis, an attorney for Brian, urged against drawing conclusions while the investigation remained ongoing in an Aug. 20 statement.
Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty
On Sept. 16, a rep for Hayden confirmed the investigation into her sudden death remained ongoing.
“While we are all eager to find closure and better understand the circumstances surrounding her passing, we must remain patient and allow the investigative process to unfold,” the statement read. “The answers we are all seeking will come.”
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