Hayden Panettiere struggled to walk on her own and used crutches as she grappled with mysterious back injury months before shock death at age 36

Months before her death at age 36, Hayden Panettiere relied on crutches and the assistance of others for help walking. 

The Nashville actress died on Sunday, yet the details surrounding her cause of death remain unknown at this time.

For the past year, Panettiere had been suffering from a mysterious back injury that left her unable to walk on her own and her physical troubles were made apparent in the months leading up to her passing. 

Video taken in May appears to show the impact the injury had on Panettiere as she struggled to walk while out in New York, her right leg visibly causing her some trouble.

Yet Panettiere attempted to mask the issues, putting on a happy face as she strode into the building. 

While arriving at CBS Studios to promote her memoir that same day, Panettiere also relied on an assistant for support as she emerged from her car.

She held the woman's hand tightly as she walked inside the studio, a smile on her face again deflecting attention from her physical troubles. 

In March, Panettiere was also seen on crutches while at LAX with on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson.

When asked about the crutches, Panettiere explained that she was suffering from 'some pinched nerves in my lower back,' in footage obtained by the Daily Mail. 

However, she added that she was 'on the mend,' offering a smile and a thumbs-up before climbing into a black SUV outside the airport.

It is an injury that Panettiere struggled to find answers for and one that left her fearing she would be 'paralyzed' for the rest of her life. 

Panettiere opened up about the issue during a May interview with Women's Health, revealing it all began when she woke up and felt 'nothing but pins and needles' from the waist down.

'I've been dealing with an injury for the past year,' she told the outlet during a barre workout. 'Some nerve damage in my lower back.'

'I quite literally woke up and felt nothing but pins and needles from my waist down,' she said. 

'I wasn't able to bend my toes or lift my foot at all. No one was able to give me a solid answer.' 

'It was like that for so long, that I was sitting there going, "Oh my gosh, am I gonna be paralyzed for the rest of my... life?"

'It's the scariest thing that's ever happened to me physically, for sure.'

The former child star, who was known for her roles on the hit NBC series Heroes and musical drama Nashville, was found dead in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday afternoon. She leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter.

Representatives for Panettiere announced on Sunday: 'It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden.

'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.'

Detectives confirmed to the Daily Mail that they responded to the apartment block in Greenville yesterday afternoon after they received a 911 call from an 'acquaintance' of Panettiere, describing her as 'unresponsive'.

In the dispatch audio of the call made at 1.51pm, a female dispatcher described Panettiere as suffering a 'cardiac arrest.' A few moments later, a male dispatcher could be heard saying that Panettiere had suffered a suspected overdose at the home in Greenville.

Officers and paramedics carried out chest compressions while trying to save Panettiere's life.

The actress – who was due to turn 37 this Friday - was pronounced dead at the scene just over 40 minutes later at 2.32pm.

Police and the local coroner's office are probing the death, but said the 'preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.'

Panettiere had an 11-year-old daughter called Kaya following a life-threatening birth, but later gave full custody to her former fiancé, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko.

The star first appeared in soap operas, then gained wider recognition for her role in the 2000 sports drama Remember the Titans with Denzel Washington, and as the voice of Dot in Pixar's 1998 film A Bug's Life.

Panettiere later found fame playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes before starring as country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on Nashville.

She earned two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress on the show, while her singing produced 11 entries on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

Panettiere's film credits include 2006's Bring It On: All or Nothing, the comedy-drama film Raising Helen, and appearances in Scream 4 and Scream VI as Kirby Reed.

On Monday, a spokesman for the City of Greenville Police told the Daily Mail: 'On August 16, 2026, at approximately 1.51pm, officers from the Greenville Police Department, accompanied by EMS personnel, responded to a report of an unresponsive female at Judson Mill Lofts, located at 701 Easley Bridge Road.

'Upon arrival, medical assistance was administered; however, the individual, later identified as Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

'The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner's Office. 

'The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. An acquaintance of Ms Panettiere placed the 911 call. At this time, no further details are available for release.'