Hayden Panettiere ‘was focused on resetting her life’ months before death aged 36

Hayden Panettiere was focused on “resetting her life” and becoming an example of a “powerful, strong, brave” woman during a deeply personal television interview just three months before her death at 36.

The Heroes and Nashville star appeared on the Tamron Hall Show in May while promoting her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning and during the interview with host Tamron, the actress discussed addiction, postpartum depression, motherhood and her experiences growing up in Hollywood.

She died on Sunday, 16 August, after being found unresponsive at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, with authorities still investigating her cause and manner of death.

A source familiar with Hayden’s recent appearance on Tamron’s show has now told Page Six: “It seemed that she really felt wronged by so many people, and – with that – she was focused on resetting her life.”

During the interview, Hayden discussed her experiences as a child actor and recalled being given what she described as “happy pills” by a trusted adult when she was 16 before walking a red carpet.

She said: “This was somebody that I trusted so wholeheartedly to protect me and it never crossed my mind – in that moment – (that they would put me) in a position of harm in any way.”

Hayden was accompanied on the program by her publicist Kasey Kitchen, who joined her for part of the interview.

According to Page Six, Tamron wanted Hayden to have somebody she trusted with her while discussing subjects covered in the memoir.

The source said: “(Hayden) really wanted (Kasey) there for the hour, and their friendship seemed genuine.”

They added: “It seemed like her publicist was the only solid person in her corner at the time.”

Another insider told the outlet Hayden and Kasey met after the actress had “turned the corner in a better direction” and described Kasey as someone “Hayden could trust”.

The Tamron Hall Show revisited the interview following Hayden’s death, sharing footage on social media in which she discussed the kind of example she wanted to provide for her daughter Kaya, 11.

Hayden said: “I want to be an example of a powerful, strong, brave female, woman – and one that can say, ‘No’, and put up personal boundaries and not get taken advantage of. And I will burn the world down for her.”

The interview also covered the health crisis Hayden said finally prompted her to seek treatment for alcohol addiction.