Hayden Panettiere appeared emotional and at times struggled with her speech during what would become her final public appearance — just months before her heartbreaking death at 36.
“Her speech appeared slow and slurred at times during the book signing,” a source who attended the “Nashville” alum’s event at the Harmony Gold Theater on May 26 in Los Angeles exclusively told Page Six.
The insider added that a heartbroken Panettiere became visibly emotional while discussing some of the painful experiences she chronicled in her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning.”
The source also recalled organizers repeatedly reminding attendees not to record the event and later prohibiting photos or videos as fans approached Panettiere during the signing.
At one point, organizers got on a megaphone and said, “Don’t be rude,” when an attendee attempted to record Hayden during the book signing, which the source said stood out to them at the time.
A separate source told Page Six, “Earlier this year, she did seem a little tired at times. But she was a night owl and… she has a lot on her plate.
“Hayden also suffered from anxiety at times, and I know she would occasionally take medication for that. And every so often that could impact her speech.”
Representatives for Panettiere and Book Soup did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
The “Heroes” star was appearing at the event to promote her deeply personal and gut-wrenching memoir, which detailed her years in Hollywood as a child star, as well as her struggles with addiction, postpartum depression, abusive relationships and the devastating 2023 death of her younger brother, Jansen Panettiere.
Despite the difficult subject matter, Panettiere also spoke that night about wanting her openness to have a positive impact on others.
She recalled people approaching her over the years to tell her that hearing her speak publicly about her mental health had given them the courage to seek help themselves.
For Panettiere, she said, knowing that her story could help someone else made sharing some of the most painful parts of her life worthwhile.
“I can hopefully leave the world a better place than I found it,” she said during the event.
Panettiere also became emotional while discussing the complicated experiences that shaped her life, including growing up in front of cameras and becoming one of Hollywood’s most recognizable young stars.
“I had my first identity crisis,” Panettiere courageously shared. “I remember exactly where I was, standing in my bedroom at 12 years old.”
The Golden Globe nominee — who began appearing in commercials as an infant before landing roles on soap operas “One Life to Live” in 1994 and “Guiding Light” in 1996 — explained that she spent much of her childhood either “playing characters” or sitting in audition rooms.
“It’s the most brutal experience, like the stark cold room, and just this row of people judging you,” she said.
Panettiere devastatingly admitted, “I wasn’t checking in with myself. I’m a perfectionist. Like, I’ve been groomed. I’m so militant because, I’ve been groomed from such a young age that you don’t ask questions.”
In her memoir and interviews surrounding its release, the actress spoke openly about battling alcohol addiction and depression, including postpartum depression following the 2014 birth of her daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko.
Panettiere died Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina, her family confirmed. She was 36.
Police and emergency personnel responded shortly before 2 p.m. to a report of an unresponsive woman and attempted to provide medical assistance before Panettiere was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to 911 dispatch audio obtained by Page Six, authorities responded to a female in “cardiac arrest.” “CPR [was] in progress” for the apparent “overdose,” according to the audio.
Narcan was found at the scene, according to TMZ.
Authorities said Monday that her death remains under investigation by the Greenville Police Department and Greenville County Coroner’s Office.
A preliminary investigation found no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.
A cause of death has not been officially determined. Page Six reported the autopsy showed the actress had no “signs of trauma” at the time of death.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” her father, Skip Panettiere, said in a statement announcing her death. “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.”
Her father asked for privacy as the family processes the “unimaginable loss.”
Panettiere is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, and her parents.
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