Overview
- Her family announced her death on Sunday and multiple outlets reported she was 36 years old.
- The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said emergency crews treated a woman for cardiac arrest and that an autopsy found no signs of trauma while a formal cause of death has not been released.
- Square Enix and the Kingdom Hearts cast issued public tributes, and Alyson Stoner — who later voiced Kairi — posted an emotional message recalling working with Panettiere.
- The news followed a D23 Kingdom Hearts panel one day earlier at which Haley Joel Osment and David Gallagher performed the game’s 'Realm of Darkness' ending that includes Kairi’s lines.
- Panettiere originated the English voice of Kairi in early Kingdom Hearts games and her death has renewed attention on the franchise even as D23 announcements, including a late-2027 window for Kingdom Hearts IV and a planned animated series, remain as reported.