Hayden Panettiere’s rep urges public to contact authorities, says 'much more to story' in actress' death

The representative for actress Hayden Panettiere, who died at age 36 on Aug. 16, is urging the public to stop speculating online and contact authorities instead, stating there is "much more to the story" than is currently known. The rep called social media gossip "deeply disrespectful" to her memory and those grieving. Panettiere was found in cardiac arrest at a Greenville, South Carolina, apartment complex and could not be revived. A 911 dispatch reportedly referenced an "overdose," though the official cause of death has not been releasedais, and much speculation has centered on her on-and-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, who was with her when she died. Panettiere had publicly discussed her addiction, depression, and an abusive relationship with Hickerson, who was arrested multiple times. An initial autopsy showed no signs of trauma or foul play, but her estranged mother and a neighbor have recently spoken out against Hickerson.