Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Hayden Panettiere's team was reportedly planning an intervention
Hayden Panettiere’s team could seemingly sense what was coming, as reports indicate they were planning an intervention shortly before the actress’s untimely death. Panettiere passed away from an apparent overdose at the age of 36 on August 16.
Director Griff Furst, who worked with Hayden Panettiere on his 2025 film A Breed Apart, said in a video on Instagram that her team had approached him about participating in an intervention after production wrapped.
Hayden Panettiere’s team had planned an intervention that never happened, according to the director of one of her final films
While Furst — who said that Panettiere was “fighting to stay sober” on set — agreed to participate, he said that the intervention never took place.
“I said yes, and that intervention did not happen, at least not that I’m aware of, and I wasn’t leading the charge on that and it wouldn’t have been appropriate for me,” Furst said.
Furst also said that her battle with sobriety was complicated significantly by the presence of her on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson, who joined her on set.
Furst said the “energy in her room was pretty dark” when Hickerson was present, and that she “deserved better company around her than what I observed.”
Panettiere’s death is currently under investigation by Greenville PD, the coroner’s office, and the DEAm, and toxicology results are currently pending.
Panettiere was best known for her roles as Claire Bennet on the NBC superhero series Heroes (2006–2010), Kirby Reed in the horror franchise Scream (2011–2023), and Juliette Barnes in the ABC musical drama series Nashville (2012–2018).
Her other credits included projects such as Raising Helen, Ice Princess, Bring It On: All or Nothing, I Love You, Beth Cooper, Ally McBeal, Heroes Reborn, and voicing Kairi in the Kingdom Hearts video game franchise.
Her final acting credit came on the 2026 psychological thriller film Sleepwalker, which was released back in December. Panettiere starred in the film alongside Beverly D’Angelo, Justin Chatwin, Mischa Barton, Lori Tan Chinn, and Kea Ho.