Hayden Panettiere was “struggling” and seemed to be “really lonely” as she was working on what turned out to be her final movie, according to a former costar.

Justin Chatwin, an actor who worked with Panettiere on the 2026 thriller “Sleepwalker,” spoke with People magazine after the “Heroes” and “Scream” actress died on Aug. 16 at age 36. The actor said the star “seemed different when I met her this time than when I met her in the early years.”

“I could tell she was struggling, and I was like, ‘I don’t think it’s this movie,'” he told People. “There’s a handful of women that I’ve worked with that I really liked, and I really loved working with her, but I also know that she was really lonely.”

Released in January, “Sleepwalker” starred Panettiere as a woman grappling with the loss of her daughter in a car accident. The film deals with themes of domestic abuse, and Chatwin told People “it was subject matter that may have hit close to home, because she did mention it.”

In her memoir, Panettiere wrote about allegedly being a victim of abuse during her relationship with Brian Hickerson.

A representative for Panettiere confirmed her death in a statement to USA TODAY on Sunday, Aug. 16. A cause has not been confirmed, but Greenville Police Sgt. Jonathan Bragg said in a statement that “the preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.” The actress had no signs of trauma that “would have contributed to the death,” according to Greenville County Coroner Mike Ellis.

Panettiere was best known for her roles on the TV shows “Heroes” and “Nashville” and for the “Scream” horror franchise. She took a break from acting from 2018 to 2023 before returning in “Scream VI” after widespread calls from the series’ fans to see her character, introduced in “Scream 4,” brought back.

Panettiere did not reprise her role of Kirby Reed in this year’s “Scream 7,” but she followed up 2023’s “Scream VI” with performances in the thrillers “Amber Alert” and “Sleepwalker.” In an interview with E! News this year, Panettiere said she planned to continue acting, calling it “my outlet.”

Three months prior to her death, Panettiere published an eye-opening memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” in which she opened up about the toll of addiction, postpartum depression, relinquishing custody of her then 2-year-old daughter, and the 2023 death of her brother, Jansen Panettiere.

Reflecting on the way her “Nashville” character’s storyline mirrored her own life, she wrote in the book, “Juliette Barnes had postpartum depression, and alcohol and pill problem, and a divorce on the horizon. She was erratic, an absentee mother, and fought with everyone, including her fans. Every time I read the day’s script, it was like I was looking in a funhouse mirror, seeing a distorted reflection of myself. I can’t tell you how lost this made me feel.”

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text “START” to 88788.

Contributing: KiMi Robinson, Sameen Chaudhry and Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY