Hayden Panettiere’s longtime hairdresser and friend, Erick Orellana, has shared new details about the health difficulties the actress reportedly experienced in the months before her sudden death at 36.
According to Orellana, Panettiere had been dealing with significant back pain that affected her mobility and made it difficult for her to move around normally.
The actress was reportedly seen using crutches at Los Angeles International Airport in March, highlighting how seriously the physical problems had affected her daily life.
Orellana said Panettiere’s condition had been particularly difficult because of the pain she was experiencing, although he believed she had shown signs of improvement more recently.
The revelations offer a glimpse into challenges Panettiere was facing privately while continuing to work and maintain her public career.
Panettiere had also spoken publicly in the past about various personal and health challenges, including addiction, postpartum depression, anxiety, and trauma.
Her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, released earlier in 2026, gave her an opportunity to discuss many of those experiences in her own words and reflect on the difficult periods of her life.
Her sudden death has prompted renewed attention to the circumstances surrounding her final months, although it is important not to assume that previously reported health problems explain her death.
Authorities have said the official cause and manner of death remain pending additional investigation and toxicology testing. The autopsy reportedly found no traumatic injuries.
Panettiere was best known for her roles as Claire Bennet in Heroes and Juliette Barnes in Nashville, and her death at such a young age has prompted an outpouring of tributes from fans and colleagues.
**Compiled from various sources.**
