Was Hayden Panettiere suffering from paralysis? Actress' comments about health struggles emerge after death

Hayden Panettiere revealed she had been left almost paralysed for nearly a year after waking with an unexplained illness before her death aged 36.

The Heroes actress discussed the experience in an interview with Women’s Health Magazine, filmed several weeks before her death.

She described waking with severe numbness and struggling to move her lower body.

“I quite literally woke up and felt nothing but pins and needles from my waist down. I wasn't able to do any of this, I wasn't able to bend my toes, lift my foot at all.”

Panettiere said doctors were unable to provide a clear explanation for what had happened.

“No one was able to give me a solid answer. It was like that for so long that I was sitting there going, 'Oh my gosh, am I gonna be paralyzed for the rest of my life?'”

She described the experience as “the scariest thing that's ever happened to me” while discussing her recovery and physical training.

Panettiere also recalled previous injuries sustained during her acting career, including being thrown from a zebra and suffering injuries to her neck.

“Yeah, I was bucked off a zebra, had two vertebra that were pushed into my neck. I had to learn how to figure skate, so I was falling all the time. A lot of pulled muscles. It's just so important to keep your muscles tight so that they are holding your skeleton together.”

Panettiere died on Sunday, August 16, aged 36. Her father, Alan Lee “Skip” Panettiere, confirmed her death through her representative, asking for privacy as the family processed the loss.

Police are investigating the circumstances, with no signs of foul play reported.