Hayden Panettiere's 'Severe' On-Set Back Injury 'Still Bothered' Her Before Suspected Overdose Death: 'I Kept My Mouth Shut and Endured the Pain'

Hayden Pannettiere's spinal injury from an on-set accident 20 years ago was still bothering her shortly before she died from a suspected overdose on Sunday, August 16.

The actress, 36, fell off a zebra in 2005 while filming her movie Racing Stripes at just 14 years old. While performing the failed stunt, the teen suffered damage to two vertebrae in her neck, a concussion and severe whiplash.

The actress opened up about the trauma and lasting effects of the injury in her May 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.

"I kept my mouth shut and endured the pain in my back and neck," she wrote. "Over 20 years later, these injuries still bother me."

The Nashville star has been open about her past struggles with substance abuse and even revealed her opioid use increased when the "old neck injury" flared up.

Panettiere was found unresponsive at an apartment in Greenville, S.C., after traveling there with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson.

Dispatch audio mentioned that first responders treated the star for "cardiac arrest" and a potential "overdose" before declaring her dead.

Hickerson, who was present at the time, reportedly guided officials to a "bag of medication" Panettiere had been taking before the incident.

Those close to the actress revealed she had been struggling with her health over the course of the last year.

Her longtime hairdresser and friend Erick Orellana told Page Six she was dealing with "really severe" pain.

"I know she suffered earlier this year with her back," he said. "At one point, it was even hard for her to move her legs.”

In March, Panettiere was spotted at Los Angeles International Airport hobbling on crutches alongside Hickerson after the duo seemingly rekindled their relationship following their 2022 breakup. At the time, she claimed she was struggling with a pinched nerve.

Her Sleepwalker costar Lori Tan Chinn recalled that the actress wasn't her usual self while filming her final movie.

"Hayden was careful not to injure herself on set, moved a little slower for her age, but did not mention back pain or hurting," she remembered.

Another anonymous source shared that the Ice Princess alum was simultaneously battling mental health issues and often took medication to address her anxiety.

"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," the insider shared, adding that the medication could "impact her speech."

Others close to the mom-of-one revealed she had recently been struggling with sobriety, causing her to "gravitate toward" Hickerson, who was accused of physical abuse against the star several times during their relationship. He was even sentenced to 45 days in jail for multiple violence charges in 2021.

"It can be an incredibly lonely world when you’re struggling like Hayden was, both mentally and with her sobriety," an insider told People. "She wanted to be sober, but there were times when she couldn’t handle feeling judged by people around her."

"That was always the sad part," they added. "She really did want to get better and stay sober, but the person she felt safest being around when she was struggling wasn’t necessarily the person who was going to help her get there."